Underneath It All
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Itachi had entered the genetic engineering program because he knew that humans had to adapt or die. Earth's landmass wouldn't be able to support their population much longer. He had expected to become a merman, what he didn't expect was what he found underneath it all. He had never expected to find a beautiful world that was teaming with life and love, but he had with Kisame.
1. Chapter 1

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** This story is designed to have a sci-fi and nature documentary feel to it, but it will also be a romantic tale. This is my trial run for Kisame and Itachi getting a fic of their own. So feedback will determine, if I continue with this one or try something else. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Special Thanks** to celestia193 for all her support and for encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

Itachi Uchiha was well aware that if humanity was to have any future at all, it would have to evolve. Living on the Earth's land simply wouldn't be enough. They would run out of room, food, and other vital resources. The scientists of the world, seemed to agree.

They knew that they would have to take to the sky, the oceans, or both in order to save humanity from its own success. The Earth's population was simply too large and growing too fast for there to be any other option. In the end, most of the scientists chose the ocean over the stars as a matter of practicality. (It was simply closer and more easily inhabitable).

"And you've had successful trials before?" Itachi asks Dr. Sannin warily.

There was certainly lots of space and potentially food underneath the ocean's surface, if humanity made an effort to care for it. Unfortunately, humans just weren't naturally adapted to surviving in an aquatic environment long term. So they had had to improvise.

Genetic engineering was thought to hold the key to their survival. Humans were being interjected with the DNA of marine life and turned into something else entirely. Ironically, science had merged with fantasy and spawned a "new race" or a very old race. Mermaids and mermen were now very much real.

"Yes, we've already got two generations out in the wild now. The First Generation is the most animalistic. The second are far closer to us than their animalistic counterparts. We believe that the Third Generation will retain everything that makes them human, save for their legs." The scientist assured him.

Itachi didn't trust Orochimaru. He'd seen those kinds of eyes before. The man was clearly in this type of research for the fame. He wanted to be known as the man who helped to save the human race from potential extinction.

That was why he was so wary of taking the injections that would transform her into a merman. Thankfully, Orochimaru wasn't the only scientist who was in charge of the program. Tsunade and Jirayia rounded out the Legendary Three as they were known.

"What happened to the First Generation?" Itachi demands.

"Some of them are still being monitored. Some are not because they either lost their trackers on accident due to their more feral lifestyle or they removed them. The ones that we are still able to track seem to live more like animals than people, but the human intelligence is still there. It's just largely been superseded by instinct. They're also far more aggressive than the Second Generation. I would avoid them, if at all possible." Orochimaru says.

Itachi frowns. The scientists had at least partially failed the first trial cases. Those men and women were brave. Extremely brave to take the injections without really know what was going to happen to them. They had deserved better than that.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not particularly happy with what happened to them either, but we do try our best. In any experiment, there are always unforeseen variables." Jirayia says as he approaches Itachi.

Unlike his counterpart, the Uchiha truly believed that Dr. Sage had a good heart. The man was in this for the right reasons. He wasn't in this for glory, but to save their people.

"Of course. What happened to the second?" He inquires.

"They're minds are largely human. Occasionally, their new animalistic instincts take over. They look far more human than the First Generation though. Most of them are still being successfully tracked. Some of them have even formed schools or pods." Jirayia explains.

"Well that's good at least." Itachi says, sighing slightly.

Jirayia nods in agreement and Tsunade makes her way over to the three of them. Itachi was a bit relieved that an actual medical doctor was one of the three people leading this project. Dr. Gambler was a major asset to this scientific venture.

"Are you still willing to become a merman? Once you take your first injection, I don't think there is any going back. We've never had someone stop treatment, after beginning it. There is no telling for certain what the effects of such a decision would be on the body." She warns him.

"I'm willing. What animal's DNA would I be interjected with?" Itachi asks.

He wondered if he would be given a choice that would be nice. He just hoped that he didn't get some strange curveball like a lobster or an octopus. He didn't think of himself as particularly vain, but he would like something aesthetically pleasing.

"A dolphin. It's a rather popular choice. They're intelligent, fast, social, and cute." Tsunade says with a wink.

"I can live with that." Itachi says as he sighs in relief at the knowledge that presumably, he wasn't going to look like something out of a horror movie.

"Good. Let's get started. Shall we?" Orochimaru asks with a sly smile.

Meanwhile Kisame was swimming off the coast of Australia. He had become a merman a few years back. He was a First Generation. They were known as the Akatsuki and the most feral of the two batches, though he suspected a Third Generation would be coming soon.

"Scientists aren't necessarily known as being a very patient bunch." He mutters to himself as he swims closer to the shore.

Sea lions were definitely one of his favorite types of prey. Fortunately, he was a Great White Type. That meant he had quite the impressive set of teeth that he could use against said prey. (Thankfully, they were retractable.)

"Dinner is served!" He growls as he lunges out of the water and at a rather unfortunate Sea Lion.

One swift bite was all it took. Kisame had had a lot of practice with this over the years. Oh he ate many other kinds of prey, it's just these were his favorite. That was one of the reasons why he hadn't really seen a reason to leave the Australian Coast much. Well that and what remained of the coral reefs were beautiful.

Kisame smirks and drags his pray into the water, after successfully killing it. Ah there was nothing like a good hunt. He knew that some Second Generationers didn't really stray too far from the scientists. They preferred to have food brought to them. They really didn't know what they were missing though.

"Nothing like a good hunt to get the blood pumping." He muses as he quickly carries his pray back to his underwater cave.

Unlike actual sharks, mermen shark subtypes didn't have to keep constantly moving. Regular sharks would drown, if they stopped moving. Luckily, he didn't have that problem. That would have been annoying as Hell.

Thanks to that, he was able to stop swimming around long enough to properly store the Sea Lion for another day. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about keeping it stored for too long. He had a big appetite, but not as big as his animalistic counterpart.

"Nice catch! Yeah?" Deidara says as he swims inside Kisame's cave.

Deidara was another Akatsuki. The blonde had been interjected with octopus DNA. His tail was made out of suction cups. The man had a pink tail, blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

Perhaps it only made sense that he was venomous merman. After all in nature, it was quite common for venomous animals to be brightly colored as a way to warn other creatures that they should leave them alone. Deidara definitely fit that mold. He was crazy, but that was why Kisame liked him.

"You want some of my catch, you better have something worth sharing it for." He says smugly.

The eccentric octopus merman was a riot. Honestly, Kisame didn't know why Sasori got so annoyed by him. Anyway, the blonde had a habit of bringing him some really cool stuff in exchange for food. It worked out nicely for both of them.

"Oh yeah! I brought something you'll like. What you think? I call it the Samehada!" Deidara says excitedly as he shows Kisame a sword that appeared to be made out of coral, shark skin, and metal.

Corral might be pretty, but it was razor shape. If you cut yourself just right on it, things wouldn't end well for you. That was part of the reason why Deidiara now had Kisame's undivided attention.

"Gotta admit. That looks like it could be fun. You can have some Sea Lion. So did Sasori say anything? If I know those meddling scientists like I think that I do, they should be trying to make a new batch of mermen and mermaids right about now." He says as he swings the sword experimentally.

It was incredible really. It was almost like it was an extension of his body. Samehada just moved so naturally with him. Really, it was almost as if the sword was made just for him.

"Yeah. He's been talking to the birds. They've been watching the scientists. Looks like they are gearing up for a third trial run. My guess is they are probably going to sign up more people this time than last time. We're getting old, yeah? In a way, we're kinda grandparents now." Deidara laughs.

Kisame shakes his head. He wasn't nobody's grandpa. That was just stupid. Though he supposed that was certainly one way to look at it.

"Think we should greet any of the kiddies or let them sink or swim on their own?" He asks with a smirk.

"Oh we're definitely going to mess with them." Kisame says with a smirk of his own.

There was nothing more amusing than screwing with the heads of Second Generation mermen. Kisame didn't really chase the mermaids. It was more fun to go after the men.

Old habits died hard, he supposed. Some glimmer of humanity still believed in chivalry. Besides, it wasn't like he was actually going to rough up the newbies. Well not too much anyway.

"This will be fun! Yeah! I'll see, if I can talk Sasori to join us. He's so serious all the time. He might enjoy it." Deidara exclaims.

A few weeks pass and Itachi had taken several injections. Currently, he was at the beach. An Australian beach. He figured that if he was going to be a merman, what better place to do so than by the Great Barrier Reef?

"How does your tail feel?" Jirayia asks in concern.

"It feels foreign. It doesn't hurt. It just doesn't feel like a part of me yet though. I guess it'll take some getting used to." Itachi muses.

At the moment, he was in about three feet of water. His human half was above the water and his dolphin half wasn't. That was going to take awhile to wrap his mind around, really.

The lower half of his body looked almost exactly like a dolphin. It was all smooth silvery gray skin, except for some white flippers and a strange matching belt like material that was wrapped around his waist. He really did look like something out of a fairytale.

"Well if it's any consolation. I've seen a lot of mermen and a few dolphin types. I've rarely seen a tail come in that nicely though." Tsunade assures him.

"Tsunade, did you inject yourself with cougar DNA?" Jirayia asks in amusement.

WHACK! That was the sound that Itachi hears as the doctor whacks her colleague behind the ears. In her defense, he probably had that one coming.

"Owe!" Dr. Sage whines.

"Jirayia, you really should know better than to make cracks like that. Now, Itachi. Your collar will allow you to get in constant contact with us. It's waterproof. You merely press the green button if you want to communicate with us normally. Red is for emergencies." The other scientist explains.

"Red for emergencies and green for everything else. Got it." Itachi says.

He touches his collar for reassurance. It was his link to civilization. Of course, he could always swim back to the coasts if something happened. Maybe, he'd stick fairly close the shore to start off with.

"I would recommend sticking close to the shore to begin with. That way we can observe you better and give you food. Do you think that you'll try to hunt or gather on your own?" Orochimaru inquires.

"I'll probably try. Though it is nice to know that I have the option." Itachi says.

"Alright. Well good luck, kid. Why don't you try going for a swim?" Tsunade suggests and Itachi nods as he swims off.

It was amazing. He felt so graceful and weightless. There was a wondrous joy in the simple motion of swimming. Itachi wasn't sure if he would ever fully be able to articulate this feeling, but he liked it.

He liked it a lot. Everything was so colorful as well. He saw corral, kelp, and schools of fish here and there. The waters on the surface might look calm, but underneath was teaming with life.

"Beautiful." He whispers.

What he didn't know is that he was being watched. Hidden behind the coral were two mermen. One blonde and one blue.

Kisame and Deidara had been watching the coasts for awhile now. If the scientists were going to release new mermen and mermaids, they would likely do it there.

"Ooh a dolphin. That's pretty. Yeah!" Deidara observes.

Kisame couldn't disagree. There was something very enchanting about that silvery tail. It probably had something to do with the fact that the owner of it was moving in a rather graceful fashion.

Kisame himself wasn't really graceful. He was all power. Dolphins were different in that way from Great Whites.

"Yeah. Definitely a looker." The Akatsuki agrees.

A male looker at that. Despite the silken locks of raven black hair that could make any mermaid jealous, that sleek muscular chest was most assuredly male. That and he was too large to be a female. His tail was too long and his flippers were too large.

His eyes were certainly something else too. The man had crimson red eyes. Eyes that were alight with happiness at the moment and also taking in his surroundings rather thoroughly. Intelligent eyes.

"Yeah. Not more than me though." Deidara says smugly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Deidara. If our people had Beauty Contests, I think you might have to settle for runner up against that one." He says with a smirk.

He knew what would happen as soon as he said that. Riling Deidara up was all in good fun. The blonde was just so wonderfully entertaining.

Kisame wasn't attracted to him though. Deidara was a bit too feminine looking for his tastes. That long blonde hair could have passed for a mermaid's easily and Deidara was a bit more lithe in frame than he preferred.

"What?! You take that back!" The Octopus Merman demands.

"I'm not going to take back the truth. Be quiet. We don't want him to know that we're here yet." Kisame says.

At that moment, Itachi tilts his head to the side. The first few times, he thought that he might be imagining it. Now, he was certain that wasn't the case though.

He was hearing voices. Not one, but two. Human voices. Could it be possible that he had somehow stumbled across a Second Generation Pod? With that thought in his mind, the new merman decides to investigate and what he heard amused him.

 _"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Deidara. If our people had Beauty Contests, I think you might have to settle for runner up against that one."_ The larger merman said.

 _"What?! You take that back!"_ The second replied furiously.

 _"I'm not going to take back the truth. Be quiet. We don't want him to know that we're here yet."_ The obvious Akatsuki retorted.

Well it was a little late for that. Itachi had already found them. The fact that they obviously wanted to remain hidden made him anxious though. There was likely a good reason for that.

Despite his hesitation, Itachi was never one to shy away from a challenge. These two were certainly a challenge. One had skin the color of a sky and the other had suckers all over his tail. They were both a mystery for him to unlock.

"It's a little late for that. Are the two of you the Welcome Committee?" Itachi asks slyly.

"Damn. You already saw us? You're quick. Good hearing, but that won't save you." Kisame says with a smirk, flashing his massive teeth.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Those teeth were intimidating to say the least, but the other merman appeared to be having fun threatening him. Was this similar to scaring Trick Or Treaters on Halloween for him?

"Your teeth are impressive, but they don't scare me. If you wanted to attack me, you had ample opportunity. That and I know that you aren't a cannibal. The fact you're clearly socializing with another merman is proof of that much." He says smoothly.

It was probably best not to show fear. Surely, the scientists would have mentioned if Akatsuki ate the other generations. Right? Well at least that was his hope.

In either case, showing fear would likely elicit rather disastrous results. Itachi needed to stand his ground (well water) here. So that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Damn. Beauty and brains. That's pretty rare. They must have made a lot of improvements this generation. Usually, it's one or the other." Kisame says boldly as he circles Itachi.

Itachi would have thought that it was like a predator encircling his prey, if it wasn't for the cheerful tone in his voice. The man was having fun. He was toying with him.

"You aren't going to get under my skin that easily." He mutters.

"Scales or fins." The blonde suggests helpfully.

"What?" Itachi asks, not at all sure what the other merman was talking about.

Apparently, he had a lot to learn about this new life. That was alright though. He had always been a good student. That and he doubted the scientists would have sent him here, if he didn't have a real chance of survival.

"It's a more accurate expression. Instead of skin, scales or fins." The blue skinned one clarifies.

"Oh right. Well that still doesn't answer my question. Who are you two?" He demands.

"I'm Deidara. Yeah? Oh and that's Kisame. We're Akatsuki. Hmm. What are they calling your Third Generationers anyway?" Deidara asks.

They were definitely Akatsuki. He already knew that though. Despite the blonde pointing out the others, Itachi was grateful to finally have names to go with faces. Kisame and Deidara.

They were certainly exotic names. The Uchiha couldn't help, but wonder if they were the pair's birth names or not. Perhaps, they had simply given themselves new names. Who could really stop them from doing so, if the whim struck them?

"I'm Itachi and I don't think that they have a name for our generation yet." He answers truthfully.

There really was no need to lie about such things. It wasn't as though they could use that information against them. Though Itachi was truly at a loss as to what to classify them.

Were they friends or foes? He simply didn't know. It seemed unlikely that they were going to attack at the moment, but that didn't necessarily make them his friends.

"Ah. Well I'm sure that they'll come up with something. Yeah?" Deidara says diplomatically.

Well at least, Itachi suspected that was the blonde's intent. That was likely the closest to diplomatically that he could get. Whether he was naturally eccentric or that was just a product of him becoming an Akatsuki, he didn't know yet. He'd find that out later though.

"They can call them The Princess Generation. God knows, that Itachi is prettier than any princess that I've ever seen. Look at his tail, hair, and eyes. If the others look anything like him, that's what they'll call em." Kisame says with a smirk.

"I'm not sure whether to feel complimented or insulted." Itachi mutters in irritation.

Kisame was certainly even more exotic than Deidara, Itachi observes. He had light blue skin and darker blue hair. There were gills upon his face and he was well… _ **large**_. Everything about the other merman was massive.

He completely dwarfed Deidara and Itachi was reasonably confident that he was also much larger than himself. That did make him feel slightly nervous. Though judging by the princess crack, Kisame didn't seem to be in the mood to start a fight for the moment and that was certainly good news for him.

" It's a compliment. So Princess, were you planning on staying by the coasts like a good boy for the scientists to watch you or were you feeling more adventurous?" He continues.

"I'll likely stay by the coasts for now. Easy access to food and I'm still getting used to this form." Itachi answers.

He didn't know why he answered. He probably shouldn't have. That or Itachi should've lied. There was just something about Kisame that was so primal and honest, that he felt compelled to respond in a similar manner.

"Probably a good idea. Well I'm fond of these coasts myself. Lots of good hunting. You're a dolphin type. So our prey probably overlaps a bit. Though I doubt you'll go after my favorites. Too big for you." He says with a smirk.

"Well if we are going to be neighbors so to speak, I do believe that in the interest of fairness, I should clarify a few things for you." Itachi says with a sweet smile.

"Go on, Beautiful." Kisame says as Deidara watches like a child absorbed in a fascinating movie.

Itachi pauses. Kisame was a far more experienced merman than him. He was bigger. He was also more familiar with these waters than him. The Akatsuki would have ever advantage over him, if he provoked him. Still his pride demanded a few things be addressed.

"First of all, I am not a Princess. I'm a man. Kindly address me by my name. Secondly, I still have my tracker. So it would be in all our bests interests to coexist peacefully." He states.

"Oh alright. I guess the Princess Thing was going a little far. Itachi it is then. Don't worry your pretty little scales. Deidara and I just like to mess with the newcomers. I didn't have any actual intention of hurting you. You're a feisty little thing though. I think I like you." He says with a smirk.

Wonderful. A prehistoric merman liked him. There was no telling what the other man meant by that exactly, though Itachi figured he was going to find out soon. He just hoped that the other merman would play nice. If he didn't, well Itachi would just have to slap some sense into him with his new tail!


	2. Chapter 2

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm pretty sure that Konan joined the Akatsuki before Kisame. I decided to make her and Pain part of the Second Generation because it wouldn't be very balanced to have everyone be in the First or Third Generation.

 **WARNING:** Kisame also makes a stereotypical joke. Don't worry, Itachi takes care of it. He was just joking around and this was not meant to stereotype anyone in real life. Any religious references are meant for the sake of the story and this fic is not meant to condone or disparage anyone's religious beliefs or the lack of them.

Chapter 2

 _A week._ That's how long Itachi Uchiha had been a merman. Seven days. It wasn't a very long time, but that was irrelevant.

In that brief span of time, everything about his life had changed. In some ways, he had been happier. There was a certain freedom and beauty to living in the ocean that mere words would never fully be able to express. In other ways, he had never been more terrified.

"He's watching me again. Isn't he?" Itachi asks a beautiful mermaid named Konan.

Kisame for whatever reason seemed to find him fascinating. Perhaps it was because he was likely the only Third Generation that the other merman knew. Though Itachi suspected, that his interest was far from scientific in nature.

"Yes, he is. I can feel him and so can the fish." The blue haired woman replies.

He wasn't entirely certain what the other merman wanted from him. Whether he was thinking about attacking him or doing other things with him. He had commented on his looks several times during their first meeting, but Itachi wasn't willing to bet his life on that.

"One can't blame the fish. He's got Great White DNA. The man is an apex predator." He muses.

Konan was a Second Generation mermaid. She had come sometime after Kisame and Deidara's generation, but before his. That meant she was a little less wild than them, but had had the opportunity to adjust to her new life. This fact was certainly a boon to Itachi.

The blue haired mermaid was very maternal. That or perhaps she just had a soft spot for him. Itachi wasn't sure which was more likely the case or if it was a combination of both reasons. Whatever her reasoning, Itachi was just grateful to have a "normal" friend down here.

"Of course. Though the question remains are you as smart as the fish? Kisame isn't a bad person, but he is an Akatsuki. They are more feral than us. He mostly acts on gut instinct and he seems to have a potentially unhealthy fixation on you." She warns him.

Well as normal as someone who had Jellyfish DNA in them could be. The woman's tail was translucent white with a pink hue to it. It was quite stunning when paired with her exotic eyes and hair.

Stunning, but deadly. Jellyfish could sting you and so could Konan. There was a reason why they had been around for hundreds of millions of years. Their design was basic, but an effective strategy for survival.

"Well I haven't really done one thing to encourage him or discourage him. I really don't know what to think about the man at the moment. He's clearly capable of speech and even joking. I don't think that Akatsukis are necessarily as feral as we have been lead to believe, but I also know that he's not entirely human in his thinking either." He replies.

"Neither am I. Having a Mate centers me though." Konan informs him.

Pain was the woman's Mate. Like her, he was also a jellyfish type. He was another Second Generation. Itachi supposed that it was a good sign that apparently their kind could be monogamous and form at least somewhat healthy relationships.

In Itachi's mind, they were a little too codependent to be considered completely healthy. Still he supposed that didn't matter. It was clearly working for them.

"I'm glad that you found happiness. Though I'm still not sure what to do about that great white." He says.

"Kisame is strong. Really strong. If you wanted though, my pod would back you up while you talked to him. I doubt even he really wants to go up against that many people, if he truly intends you harm. Personally, I think that he's just doing this because he likes you." Konan says.

That possibility had occurred to Itachi. That didn't mean that he had any idea what he was going to do about it, if it did turn out to be true. Itachi was firmly bisexual, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was ready to enter the dating pool under the sea.

He found both genders equally appealing. That meant that he wouldn't reject Kisame's advances because he was male. There was still that little matter of his teeth to consider though.

"I think that I might have to do just that. Thank you, for everything. You've been so kind to me. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be hugging the shoreline too afraid to venture out much further." Itachi says.

Those looked positively lethal. He wasn't entirely certain how he would even kiss Kisame, if he wanted to. Then again, he wasn't sure that the Akatsuki was the type of man who put much stock in that activity anyway. He seemed like the type that would prefer just to skip to the main event.

"It was my pleasure. The Pod is really happy to have a dolphin type around, honestly." She replies.

"I was always under the impression that a group of Jellyfish was called a Bloom or a Swarm." Itachi says.

"Usually, it is. We aren't just Jellyfish though. We're also mostly human." The mermaid points out.

Itachi couldn't exactly argue with that logic. If they wanted to be called a Pod, who was he to stop them? Besides, he was lucky to have found them and he definitely didn't want to get stung by a Pod of Jellyfish.

Meanwhile Orochimaru goes over the most recent reports with Tsunade and Jirayia. The scientist was always excited to do this. This was truly groundbreaking work and with the recent release or a Third Generation, it was truly becoming even more exciting.

"It looks like most of the new generation is adapting even quicker than the previous. Though many of them are still hugging the shoreline. That's only to b expected though." Tsunade comments.

"Exactly. That's what I would do, if I was in their position." Jirayia says and the busty blonde nods in agreement.

Orochimaru hmms in response. Well it looked like at least a handful of their hundred or so test subjects had decided to venture deeper. In particular, Itachi Uchiha was growing bolder.

"The strangest thing that I have witnessed so far is that Itachi seems to be traveling with a group of Jellyfish Types. Apparently, they are still human enough not to concern themselves too much with their subtypes." He observes.

"Kisame, Sasori, ,and Deidara tend to stick fairly close together though and they aren't the same subtype." Jirayia counters.

The other scientist gives a nod of acknowledgement at his colleague's assessment. That was most certainly true. In all honesty though, those three were in a league of their own.

"True, but they are Akatsuki. The only three Akatsuki that I know of to have really mixed outside their subtype without serious aggression." He reasons.

"That much is certain. What's more uncertain is what we are going to do about the press conference." The doctor warns them.

Oh yes. That damn press conference. Unfortunately, there would always be those who tried to stand in the way of progress. Orochimaru wasn't going to let that happen though.

The frightened sheep, the bigots, and the moral objectors were all annoyances to him. Annoyances that in time would be easily overcome. He certainly wasn't going to allow them to stop them from saving humanity from extinction.

"If we play up how well the newest generation and Second Generation are doing, I think that's our best bet. Their main objections are that we're turning human beings into animals or freaks." Jirayia says with a sigh.

"I suppose that's true. It's best to go light on details when it comes to the Akatsuki. One day, we'll make them understand though. This is the most humane way of saving our species from itself." Tsunade mutters.

It was indeed. Orochimaru had thought about it at great length. He still hadn't decided what species he would eventually inject himself with. There were so many interesting choices.

He did know one thing though. Orochimaru was definitely going to choose a predator. That much he was certain of. It was only a question of which one.

"That would be advisable. Yes. Come. We need to make sure that all the shipments are delivered on time. The Third Generation mermen and mermaids in particular are relying on them." Dr. Sannin reminds them.

The shipments contained food, medical supplies, tools, and weapons. Those were the staple items. That and occasionally a merman or a mermaid would make a special request for something else.

They did their best to grant those requests. After all, these men and women were truly pioneers. They were also potentially saving their species. If they wanted a few trinkets here or there, well Orochimaru certainly wasn't going to deny them.

Elsewhere Kisame was watching Itachi. He was with the Jellyfish again. That was annoying. The man was almost never alone.

At first, he wasn't really sure why he was fascinated by the other merman. He had pawned it off to him being feisty and a member of the Third Generation. Novelty could be fun.

"You know, it'd probably make him less uneasy, if you actually spoke to him again. This lurking around is going to startle him. The Jellyfishers definitely know that you are doing it. That means he knows. You aren't being subtle." Sasori says.

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it." The blue skinned merman snaps at him.

Honestly, he didn't see what Deidara saw in the red head. He supposed that Sasori was attractive, but he was about as cuddly as an eel. The other man was a sting ray type.

That meant that his tail was flatter and gray. The end was tipped instead of having flippers. Kisame wasn't really show how the other man was able to move around with it, but he did and quite well.

"You clearly need my help. Just staring at him all the time is bound to at best make him suspicious and at worse, you're going to frighten him. As if your teeth weren't reason enough to be frightened of you, you've decided to add stalker to your resume." The stingray states bluntly.

"I am not stalking him. I'm just watching him and making sure that he's safe." Kisame defends himself.

"Just go talk to him. Hmm. Actually, you could find him something pretty or maybe bring him some food. That's supposed to be really helpful in finding a Mate!" Deidara suggests.

Wonderful. He was getting love advice from Deidara. Of all people, the eccentric blonde was probably the last person that he would have asked for help in matters such as these.

Despite that, the Octopus Type did have a point. Giving someone food or presents was usually a good way to win them over. He was a good hunter. He could certainly work with that.

"Yeah. Maybe, I'll catch him some fish or something." He says.

"Good. Now stop pinning and go get your merman. This moping around a lovesick puppy is really annoying. Are you a Great White Shark or a Clownfish?" Sasori demands.

Kisame twitches and smacks the Stingray with his mighty tail. The smack sends him flying several feet back and he swims off. Hmpf. A Clownfish? He'd show him a Clownfish!

When he got to the Jellyfish Pod, he was a little at a loss for what he was actually going to do or say though. He suddenly wished that he had thought this through more. Hmm. Oh well. He'd just have to wing (or fin) it!

"Hey, Itachi!" He greets him cheerfully, his fangs showing in a smile.

Oh right. Showing off his fangs like that probably wasn't the best way to start off. Damn it. Sometimes there were drawbacks to being an awesome Great White Shark Type! Who knew?

"Kisame." He greets him in that silky voice of his.

He really did like Itachi's voice. It was his favorite thing about him besides those eyes. Yeah. That voice was something else.

The Akatsuki had never put much stock in the whole bedroom voice thing. That was until he met the Dolphin Type. He was suddenly reevaluating a lot of old clinches about sexuality and possibly even love. Clinches apparently existed for a reason.

"I see that you joined up with the Jellyfish Pod. I didn't realize they accepted people who weren't their type." He muses.

"The Second Generation varies, but largely appears to be more accepting of other subtypes from what I'm told. It seems you are something of an exception though." The other merman muses.

Kisame figures that probably worked in his favor. Maybe, if Itachi thought he wasn't prejudiced against other species that was a good thing. Clearly, Itachi wasn't.

If he was, there would be no reason for him to pal around with a bunch of Jellyfish. His Itachi was at least fairly accepting. That or he was scared of being on his own. Maybe both.

"I guess you could say that. I like messing with people. Equal opportunity offender, but I wouldn't actually seriously hurt another of our kind. Doesn't matter the subtype. Well unless it was self-defense. I include defending myself from stupidity in that though. Just so you know. Not that that should be a problem for you. You seem really smart. A bookworm, but a hot one." He states rather blatantly.

Itachi blinks. He had never met a more direct individual than Kisame. It was as if the merman said whatever came into his head.

Perhaps that was simply because he was an Akatsuki. It was hard to tell what was a natural personality trait and what was the result of the genetic engineering. Either way, this was going to take some getting used to.

"That's all very good to know. If you had an issue with my comrades, I would have to smack you on their behalf. It's that or have you get electrocuted. Whichever is more convenient for us at the time." He warns him.

"Damn You really are a feisty one. I like that about you. Come on. I can show you were my cave is. I have lots of food. If there is one thing that I'm very good at, it's hunting." Kisame continues.

Was Kisame asking him out? Itachi got the very distinct impression that the other man was. He just wasn't sure how to react to that.

He was attractive. The Akatsuki was definitely attractive in an otherworldly way. Once you got passed the bizarreness of his new form, anyway.

"Are you asking me out?" Itachi asks inquisitively.

"I guess you could say that. Yeah. You strike me as the kind of guy that would be into other guys." He says.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. While that was accurate, he wasn't entirely certain how to react to that assessment. He doubted that it was meant to be taken as an insult though.

Kisame was obviously attracted more to mermen than mermaids. So it wouldn't make sense for him to have an issue with gay or bisexual people.

"What makes you say that?" He asks.

"Your hair and the way you move mostly. Your hair is way to perfect for you to be straight. You're also more graceful than any straight guy that I've ever seen." He says.

Itachi feels himself twitch. The man was complimenting him, but in such a horribly stereotypical way. Has was tempted to smack him, but then he remembered those teeth.

On second thought, maybe slapping him with his tail might not be the best idea. He'd rather not bleed to death because Kisame cut some newly formed artery that he wasn't even aware that he possessed yet. No. A more evenhanded approach was necessary here.

"That was horribly stereotypical. I'll go with you though. It wouldn't be wise to turn down a free meal in this environment. I know that I'm supposed to receive my first shipment this week, but I really don't know what the contents of it will be." Itachi admits.

"Yeah. I guess that was a little bit of a jerk thing to say. Anyway, come on. Let's get you some real food. None of this Jellyfish bullshit. You can do way better than that." Kisame says with a smirk as he offers the other merman his hand.

"I suppose that remains to be seen." Itachi says as he swims off with the Akatsuki.

Back on land, the scientists had made sure to set up the drop off and were now at the Press Conference. Tsunade sighs as she looks around anxiously. Damn it.

There were already some protestors. She could understand the moral objections to human testing, but there were also prejudiced idiots. The kind of idiots that were born in every generation and every generation they found a new scapegoat.

"Don't worry, Tsunade. We can handle this." Jirayia assures her with a smile.

Despite the situation, the busty blonde finds herself smiling back. If there was one thing that man was good at, it was definitely comforting. There were times when it was very difficult to understand how he and Orochimaru had been best friends since middle school.

Well the three of them had been, but Jirayia was a different breed than their more introverted companion. That was probably a good thing, really. Without him, she doubted that Dr. Sannin would have socialized with anyone outside of work.

"Thank you, all for coming today." Orochimaru begins the conference.

Tsunade wishes that she could feel as confident as her companion felt, but she didn't. These types of events were always flirting with disaster and they all knew that to varying degrees.

"BLASPHEMER! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO PLAY GOD?!" Someone shouts from the crowd.

"Well I'm so glad you asked that. The fact that if we don't take immediate action, the Earth's landmass isn't going to be able to support all of us. When that happens, society will be forced to make some very difficult decisions. Watch people slowly starve to death or kill each other off or reduce the population. Hopefully, this would be in a humane way, but I have my doubts. Any other questions?" Orochimaru asks pleasantly.

That was the wrong thing to say. The "pious" man lunges at Orochimaru. Thankfully, they had always known this was a possibility.

That was why they had security and lots of it. The scientists had tried to make sure that they were prepared for the worst possible outcome. All of them knew that there was always the chance that someone would try to attack them or even kill them.

"Thank you, officers." Jirayia whispers to the policemen that they had asked to be at this event.

Their work was dangerous. Not just for their test subjects, but also for them. In addition to those that had religious objections, there were also those that just hated anyone different than them. They were equally as dangerous.

"You're welcome." Someone says as they escort the attacker out of the room.

Thankfully, not everyone had the same reaction. There were also many groups that were ecstatic about the new race. Groupies and academics mostly. Teenagers in particular seemed enamored with the idea of mermaids and mermen. (Oh and young children, of course)!

"There are currently three different groups of mermaids and mermen. The First Generation is the wildest. Fortunately, they have retained at least some control over themselves. The Second Generation has even more control. We recently just released the Third. The initial results are very promising. We truly believe that in a few years, we'll be able to make large numbers of people into mermaids and mermen, completely safely and economically." The doctor explains.

"That's wonderful news! When can I sign up?" A teenage girl asks.

"Well you can always request to be added to the Third or Fourth Generation. Though you would need your parents consent. We refuse to take anyone under the age of eighteen." She warns her.

"Oh good to know that you still have SOME morals!" A man waving a rather unflattering sign shouts.

That's when a group of scholars from another country block the man. They blocked the man from showing his sign. They didn't hurt him, but they clearly wasn't going to allow him to take over the conference.

"We have released test subjects all over the world. We do try to give them a choice in what location they are released in." Jirayia says.

Tsunade knew why he was saying that. He didn't want any of the crazies to get any strange ideas about hunting them down. If they were dispersed, they were safer.

"And this was all consensual?" A doctor asks from the crowd.

"Of course, it was. We aren't monsters. We'd never forcibly turn someone else into another species without their consent. Really, I can't believe that you even have to ask that question. Do you think that the government would sanction us to perform this testing and go on international television, if it wasn't consensual?" Orochimaru demands.

Tsunade sighs. Well Orochimaru had a way of cutting to the heart of the matter. Unfortunately, he also had a horrible "bedside manner." The man had absolutely no tact, if he wasn't trying to get something.

When he wanted something, Orochimaru was capable of being quite charming. She had seen it with her own eyes. Any other time, not so much. That was just part of who he was though.

"Well I had to ask for the public's opinion. I thought that it might ease some concerns, if everyone understood that it was purely consensual." The other man retorts defensively.

"That's a good point. Well we'll take a few questions and then be on our way." Tsunade says.

The rest of the evening was spent answering questions. Almost countless questions, really. By the end of the day, Tsunade was just happy to be home and to enjoy a nice bubble bath.

"This will work. It has to." She whispers to herself.

This was possibly humanity's last chance to save itself without resorting to the horrible methods that Orochimaru had mentioned. He wasn't saying anything that anyone with a brain wasn't already thinking about, but that didn't make it any less unsettling. They were truly racing against the clock and it was a race that Tsunade was determined to help humanity win.


	3. Chapter 3

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Special Thanks to:** Moon Phoenix Yukira for her wonderful animal suggestions.

Chapter 3

A few moments later, Itachi blinks. He had never seen so much seafood in his entire life. Kisame had everything from shrimp to sea lion. Really, he didn't think there was much the other merman hadn't had a go at.

"I wasn't aware that Great White Sharks traveled in packs." He muses.

"We don't. Why do you say that?" Kisame asks as he watches the Third Generationer.

"Well this is enough food for an army." Itachi reasons and Kisame just chuckles.

It was obvious that the Akatsuki found his reaction amusing. Either he really did eat a lot or he was using some kind of storage system. Perhaps, it was a combination of both.

"Well I eat a lot. Great Whites have big appetites in all manner of things." The blue skinned merman replies suggestively.

It didn't take a genius to realize what Kisame meant by THAT. All manner of things apparently included his sexual appetite. Well that answered that question. Kisame definitely wanted him.

The other man wasn't interested in being friends. He wanted something more. Though Itachi was unsure of how much more. Did he merely want one night of passion or was he looking for a Mate?

"I'm certain that is indeed the case." He replies smoothly.

On second thought, there was a third possibility. Kisame might be looking for what his brother referred to as _"Friends with Benefits."_ It was an old concept, but one Itachi had never put much stock in. Sleeping with your friend was just playing with fire in his view.

Assuming that Kisame even knew what he wanted, Itachi still had to make up his own mind. There was some newly discovered part of his brain that certainly found this all rather appealing. Well perhaps he shouldn't say new, so much as a long since dormant part of his subconscious.

"So yeah. I got plenty. Take whatever you like. I have plenty. I doubt the Jellyfish are hunting much that a dolphin would be interested in or do you just go off on your own?" He asks.

A primitive part of him that found the idea of a strong Mate who was clearly a good hunter appealing. Itachi scoffs at this notion. It was positively prehistoric.

He pawns it off to the fact that he was now part dolphin. That was likely the cause behind this newly discovered primal part of his personality. Itachi had most assuredly never thought of people in such a calculating fashion before. Yes, it had to be the dolphin DNA's influence.

"I mostly go off on my own, but I don't really like straying too far from the group." He admits as he grabs a few oysters.

Snacking would likely be best. Well at least until he figured out what he was going to do. Besides, he had always liked oysters. That fact hadn't changed when he became a merman, it seemed.

"Probably smart. A lot of people are skittish at first. This is a whole new world, after all. You'd have to be pretty stupid to just dive right in, like Deidara did." He says with a smirk.

"Why? What did Deidara do?" Itachi asks curiously as he takes another bite into his oysters.

"He decided to swim straight out in to the heart of the ocean. The man almost got squashed by a Blue Whale that was swimming by. He's lucky that Sasori was around to save him or else he would have been turned in to pancakes." The Akatsuki observes with a laugh.

That was both a comical and somewhat frightening image. Itachi mentally sighs as he decides that once again, he had a lot to learn. Oh well. Sooner or later, he would adapt to life in the ocean. He was sure of it.

The alternative was simply unthinkable. Humans had to adapt or die. So he was going to make damn sure that he adapted. For Sasuke's sake, if for nothing else.

"Well I'm sure that Deidara appreciates Sasori rescuing him from such a fate." Itachi muses.

"Ah nah. Deidara seems to think that he could have dodged it. Sasori took offense to that. Thinks that Deidara was yelling at him for saving his blonde tail. The two of been bickering like an old married couple ever since." Kisame replies.

Well that was interesting. It would probably be a good idea to figure out who got along with who. So Sasori and Deidara bickered a lot. Good to know.

"And do you think they truly hate each other or is it just unresolved sexual tension?" Itachi asks slyly.

"It's definitely unresolved sexual tension." Kisame says with a laugh as he tears into a fish with his wicked sharp teeth.

Once he knew his way around the ocean, his plan was to bring his brother in. By the Fourth Generation, Itachi was certain that all or at least most of the kinks would be worked out.

Honestly, he would have preferred to have Sasuke wait until the fifth or maybe even sixth generation. That was tempting fate though. Things were already getting worse on the surface. It was only a matter of time before society collapsed at this rate.

"Well I do hope that one day, they manage to resolve it." He says with a smile.

Itachi gave it at least five years. There was a chance that they could keep things from descending into total chaos for up to 20 at most though. Realistically, Itachi gave it about ten years though.

He wasn't going to risk it though. Sasuke was a teenager now. He was old enough to understand the risks and he certainly wasn't going to allow his baby brother to be on land when things went south.

"Me too. Well speaking of sexual tension, what about us?" Kisame asks with a grin.

"You're absolutely impossible." Itachi replies with a snort of amusement.

That was why he had agreed to be a Third Generation. He hadn't yet been desperate enough to attempt First Generation or even Second Generation, but he knew that he was going to do it before his brother did.

Time was simply running out and that was why he had agreed to do this. It was for Sasuke. While Itachi was in no rush to die, it was his brother's life that held the most importance to him.

Meanwhile on land, Danzo takes a visit to the research facility. He had seen the latest press conference. The public was growing more and more restless.

That meant that he had to act quickly. He was an old man and Danzo was keenly aware of that fact. If society broke down on land, he didn't stand a chance. All the money and power that he had spent his life acquiring would be meaningless once chaos reigned supreme.

"Orochimaru, I see the Third Generation is doing exceptionally well. How soon do you believe you can test the Fourth?" He asks.

"We just started the Third. Most likely we'll be ready within another year. That should give us enough time to draw sufficient data." Dr. Sannin replies.

A year was a lot longer than he would like. Ideally, he would be ready to leave tomorrow. Still he knew that the Third Generation was the last batch the he could afford to skip.

After that, they should have most of the bugs worked out. At which point, he really didn't want to risk waiting until the Fifth. The way things were going, there simply wouldn't be time.

"Excellent. Mark me as a test subject for the Fourth Trial." The elderly man says.

"Are you certain? Danzo, you're in your seventies. All our trials have been people under the age of 40. Most of our trials have been in their twenties with only a handful of those in their thirties. There are also a few teenagers, but we've never done the experiment to someone your age before." The other man warns him.

That was a good point. Orochimaru was right to be concerned. He was correct in that no one his age had ever been injected with marine DNA. There were serious risks that would be involved with his transformation.

Despite that, Danzo was willing to take those risks. There was no way that he was just going to wait around until they had tried the injections on a few grandfathers. No. There simply wasn't enough time.

"I'm aware of that. I understand the risks and I more than accept them." He says.

"Alright. Well in that case, I believe we'll just have to find something for you to turn into when the time comes. I highly recommend Sea Slug DNA for you." The other man says.

Danzo snorts. He couldn't possibly be serious? A Sea Slug? What was next? Plankton?

"Are there no other choices?" He asks.

He didn't think of himself as a particularly vain man, but a Sea Slug seemed beneath his dignity. Surely, there had to be something else. They couldn't be turning everyone into Sea Slugs.

"Well I believe that a simple creature would be best. At your age, a more complex organism could harm you. Of course, this is all purely theatrical. If you're willing to take an even greater risk, I suppose we could give you a more complex organism. I just wouldn't recommend it." The scientist says.

Danzo frowns as he considers that. It was all very sound logic. He didn't like it, but Orochimaru was probably correct in his theories. At the very least, they sounded logical.

"Very well. I'll think on the matter. I have a year. That's plenty of time to decide how high a risk level, I feel comfortable with." The elderly man says.

"Precisely. There is no need to rush in and make a hasty decision. Remember, you'll have to live with the consequences. Once you are injected, there is truly no going back." Orochimaru warns him.

"Yes, I understand that perfectly." Danzo replies.

When Oroochimaru wasn't looking, the businessman quickly swipes a research file. He was going to have to look into this matter more. There was no sense going into this unprepared.

He did not trust Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jirayia to tell him everything. They all hated him to varying degrees. He suspected that Orochimaru hated him least though.

"Good. Please do think on this matter. It really isn't something that should be undertaken lightly. I'm certain that you understand. You're a bright man." The scientists informs him.

That was why he had deliberately waited until he knew that the dark haired man would be alone to speak with him. The last thing that he needed was the personal animosity that Jirayia and Tsunade had for him to get in the way of his continued survival. Hence his decision to speak with Orochimaru alone.

"Of course. Well thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I won't take up anymore of your time. I understand that you are very busy with the Third Generation mermaids and mermen. Give my best to Tsunade and Jirayia." He says with a deceptively pleasant smile on his face.

"Naturally. Well I shall speak to you later. Thank you, for all this. You're truly a pioneer. I figured that we would have a much harder time finding test subjects who were your age." Orochimaru says.

With that in mind, he resists the urge to knock the other man's teeth out. He had no love for Orochimaru. The scientist was a snake. Danzo had lived long enough to recognize a snake when he saw one and Orochimaru was most certainly a snake.

"You're welcome. The pleasure is all mine. I can assure you of that much." The elderly man replies as he heads off with the files stuffed under his coat.

Back at Kisame's cave, Itachi was sipping on some wine and eating some lobster. Kisame was definitely not a merman who ever ran out of food. That was something he had in abundance.

While the blue skinned man wasn't an academic, he was intelligent in his own way. Itachi supposed that the proper way to describe Kisame's intelligence would either be animal cunning or street smarts. Either way, the merman could be a powerful asset in this new world that he had found himself in.

"So how long have you been like this again? How long have you lived under the ocean?" Itachi inquires.

Itachi was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth and didn't see that changing anytime soon. That was why he was more than willing to speak with Kisame for as long as the other man was willing to talk.

"Few years. Things started going bad and I wanted to get out of dodge. That and I wasn't really happy with my life at the time. The 9 to 5 was never really for me." He says.

That made sense. It was difficult to imagine Kisame in an office job. Honestly, it was almost like the merman had been born for this life.

Sadly, the Uchiha couldn't say the same thing for himself. He adored being in the ocean, but he still didn't know his way around yet. Not really. He was still learning.

"Yes, I can see that. Do you like it?" The younger man asks.

"I love it. It's complete freedom. Nothing like up there. Got everything I need at the moment. Hell, even found myself a pretty little merman to play with." He says.

Itachi rolls his eyes. Kisame had a rather unique method of flirtation. Though he was almost positive at this point that the other man didn't actually mean any harm.

"Pretty and little?" He demands.

"I suppose you're right. The little thing was wrong. You're not little. Akatsukis are just naturally larger than the Second and Third Generation it seems. Probably because our DNA is more wild." He muses.

"How generous of you to amend the little comment in the interests of accuracy." Itachi says.

"Yes, I thought so." The Great White retorts with a smirk.

Itachi just shakes his head. He'd never really met anyone like Kisame. The Akatsuki was borderline feral and he said whatever was on his mind. Despite that though, the Uchiha wasn't scared of him.

Logically, he knew that he should be. Itachi doubted that Great Whites and dolphins got along all that well naturally, but he wasn't. Kisame seemed more interested in flirting and maybe sex than anything else.

"Naturally. Is there anything that I should know? Like where the Blue Whales are so that I don't get turned into a pancake?" The raven haired man questions him slyly.

"Oh don't worry. I'll make sure that you know all the ins and outs of all this. You don't have to worry about that stuff. Oh and I'm sure that Deidara will be more than happy to help as well. Though he's more than a little eccentric." The blue haired man replies.

Well that was putting it rather charitably, Itachi muses to himself. He would have described Deidara as half crazy, really. Still it was interesting to note that Kisame apparently considered the blonde to be something of a friend.

Friendship had survived the transformation. That much was obvious. It didn't seem to matter what generation someone was. That much had stayed the same.

"Yes, I have noticed that." He admits.

"Yeah. Well I've never been one to swim around the coral reef." Kisame continues.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. It looked like the mermen and mermaids were coming up with their own slang. He could only guess that Kisame meant that he had never been one to beat around the bush, but Itachi digressed.

"That's something that I've also realized. You're a very direct person." He says with a chuckle.

"Very direct. I suppose it has something to do with the shark's DNA. We're hunters. Top predators. When we see something that we want, we have a habit of going for it in a big way." The Akatsuki informs him.

This causes the Uchiha to pause. There was no mistaking his intent now. How long Kisame wanted to _play_ with him might have been questionable, but the fact that he wanted him was now indisputable.

Itachi just didn't know what he was going to do about that and unfortunately, it didn't look like he was going to have much time to decide. The Dolphin Type didn't like being rushed into making such major decisions, but he realizes that things were different under the ocean. In this type of environment, you had to respond quickly to changes in your surroundings or you would perish.

"Well I suppose dolphins are the same way. We're just more subtle about it." Itachi says with a smile as he lightly brushes his lips up against Kisame's.

He wasn't really sure how he felt about this more primitive side of his personality, but Itachi decides to go with it. Surely, instincts were there for a reason. That and in his own way, Kisame has been nothing but kind to him.

The Akatsuki had fed him. He hadn't attacked him. He complimented him and drove him crazy in equal measure. Those actions must have stemmed from genuine affection on some level.

"Well I'm not very good at subtle, but I like where this is going." Kisame says with a grin as he kisses him back.

"Just…be careful about your teeth." Itachi warns him.

"Those are retractable." Kisame says and with that, his shark teeth turn into human ones.

Itachi blinks. Well that was convenient. He wasn't entirely certain how their relationship would work out, but that was at least one issue solved. It was a start, right?

"Glad to hear it. I was really worried that you would accidentally tear my face off while we kissed, if I am being completely honest." He whispers.

"Nah. I wouldn't do that. I'm not a complete animal. Just mostly an animal. Besides, that'd be a stupid survival strategy from an evolutionary standpoint. Wouldn't it?" Kisame asks.

Itachi chuckles. Never did he imagine that he would hear those words come out of the exotic being's mouth. Evolutionary standpoint.

"Yes, killing your Mate before either conceives is generally a fast way towards an extinction." The Uchiha agrees in amusement.

"Yes, it is." Kisame agrees as he kisses Itachi again.

Hmm. Well Itachi had to say this much about the Akatsuki. He damn sure knew how to kiss. It was all that the raven haired merman could do not to moan like a wanton tramp into the kiss.

For some reason, he tasted like blueberries. Itachi wasn't sure why. He decides just to go with it as he explores the other man's thankfully, very much human mouth.

"Yeah. I'm definitely keeping you around." Kisame says, after breaking the kiss.

"Mmm don't I get a say in this?" Itachi asks dryly.

"Well yeah, but you're not going to want to leave anyway. I felt your bulge. You want me. That and admit it. Staying with me will be much more fun than hanging around a bunch of Jellyfish." The Akatsuki states.

Itachi snorts. Well he had to say this much for Kisame. He was brutally honest and a good kisser. That and he'd certainly never be bored around him. Those were all positive things.

There was also the fact that Kisame knew how to survive in this new world. Itachi was still learning. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have an exotic, powerful lover who could show him the ropes.

"I suppose we'll see about that. Though I feel that it's only fair to warn you that I have very, very high standards." Itachi says with a smirk.

"That's fine. I wouldn't have any other way. I don't want some doormat. Just as long as you understand who wears the fins in this relationship." He retorts.

Oh boy. This Akatsuki had a lot to learn. Well Itachi supposed he had all the time in the world. Perhaps this would work out. Kisame might turn out to be something of a diamond in the ruff.

Elsewhere Obito sighs. This was going to take a lot of work. He had been gathering Second Generation mermaids and mermen for awhile now. Still he felt like their progress was agonizingly slow.

"I want the castle in the center of the city." He states firmly as he watches his loyal subjects flit about.

Every King needed a Capital for their Kingdom. Obito was a Clownfish Type. That often made people underestimate him to his own parallel and he certainly wasn't afraid to use that to his advantage.

He was amongst the first people to be changed. That meant that he was truly on the cutting edge of everything. With that came great benefits and risks. One of these risks was the unknown.

"Yes, Your Majesty." One of the mermen says.

There was no way of knowing how the human body would react to foreign DNA. It had worked though. Mostly. He had an extra ability from his transformation that most people didn't have. A side effect, if you will.

Whenever he got angry, his body would act like an electric eel. He'd shock his opponent. Most of the time this ended up proving fatal. If it didn't though, it at least stunned them until he could achieve victory. It was a most useful ability, really.

"Good." He says as he watches the workers.

Humanity's time on land would likely gradually become a thing of the past. By that time, he wanted to have a well established Kingdom. People would naturally look for leadership in a time like this and he was more than willing to provide it.

He had to for Rin's sake. His Mate was Seahorse Type. She had been turned at the same time as him. Unfortunately, they hadn't realized she was pregnant at the time of her transformation.

"She'll be alright though. I know she will." He mutters to himself.

The human scientists were closely monitoring her at the Institute for now. He hated to leave her out of his sight, but he had no other choice. Obito couldn't give her the care that she needed at the moment.

Soon enough though, their child would be born. Well that or maybe children. He wasn't really sure how mermaids would reproduce, let alone about subtypes such as Seahorses. He supposed he would find out soon.

"We'll be reunited soon and she'll have a nice Kingdom to bring our child or children into." The merman muses.

It would be perfect. Hopefully. Rin would survive this. He was sure of it. She might have a sweet and fragile looking face, but underneath it all…she was a fighter. She'd pull through.

Rin had to. He couldn't imagine a life without his beautiful Mate. It would be utterly unthinkable in his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Do feel free to weigh in on whether or not, you would like for Kisame and Itachi to have biological children, adopted children, or just to focus on each other later on in this story.

Chapter 4

The next day, Itachi swims towards the shore. He knew that the scientists would be dropping off supplies. While he didn't feel that he needed them at the moment, the Uchiha decides it was better safe than sorry.

There was really no knowing how long his relationship with Kisame would last. He might not always be there to provide safety, food, shelter, and the other essentials for him. Though the Akatsuki did seem to relish his unofficial role as the provider in their relationship. So who knew?

"Go ahead and get the box. It'll have lots of goodies inside it." Kisame says encouragingly.

"Alright." He says as he swims as close to the shore as he possible could without forming legs.

Itachi knew that in theory, he could form legs for short periods of time. A few hours, but he wasn't in a hurry to try it. What if he got stuck halfway through his transformation or something?

The possibilities were frankly too horrifying for him to consider much at this point. No. He'd just stick to his tail for now. Besides, Kisame seemed rather fond of said tail.

"Ah, Itachi. It's good to see you." Jirayia greets him with a smile.

"It's good to see you as well. I was told that I would receive regular supplies and this was the drop off point." The Dolphin Type says.

Jirayia nods and hands him a box. Itachi estimated it probably weighed about twenty pounds. That was likely because of food items, he thinks to himself. Perhaps, they were going to give him some sort of weapon to hunt or defend himself with? That could also be heavy.

"Thank you." He says with a smile.

"Was there anything that you would like? We didn't receive any requests from you. We usually receive requests from new mermen and mermaids." Tsunade asks.

Itachi smiles at this. It looked like he had the entire Trio. Tsunade, Jirayia, and Orochimaru. He was more fond of the busty blonde and eccentric scientist than the last member of that triad though.

Of course, he saw no reason to voice this at the moment. Itachi was more focused on establishing himself in this strange and wondrous, new world that he found himself in. The dark haired scientist was the least of his concerns at the moment.

"Oh I didn't need anything, but I was curious about what is inside these care packages. That much I'll fully admit to." The young merman says.

"Well I think that I can imagine why you don't need anything. It seems as though you've found yourself a _companion."_ The third scientist says with a sly smile.

That smile made Itachi feel dirty. He knew that was ridiculous. Who cared what Orochimaru thought? For some reason though, Itachi did. It made the Uchiha feel like he was going to stalk them or something.

"My companion is none of your concern." Itachi retorts icily.

He didn't want Orochimaru anywhere near Kisame. He wasn't really sure why exactly. His boyfriend could rip the other man to shreds with his bare hands. Itachi knew that much, but he still worried for the Akatsuki.

"Itachi, we're only curious. Besides, Kisame is like you. He's also being studied. No one will judge you, if you happen to prefer men." Tsunade says reassuringly.

That's what she thought he was worried about? Tsunade thought that he was worried the scientists would judge him for not being as straight as an arrow. That was almost laughable.

Though he did appreciate the gesture. It was the thought that counted. Clearly, the doctor was just trying to help him feel more comfortable about the unusual situation.

"He's been teaching me about life under the sea." Itachi says casually.

It was probably better to speak of the entire thing casually. While he didn't care what anyone thought about him being bisexual, he didn't want to turn his relationship with Kisame into some nature documentary. The very thought made him feel ill.

His relationship with the Akatsuki was something between just the two of them. Itachi wasn't entirely certain that the relationship would even last another day, but he knew that he wanted it to be special. Not something for the scientists to theorize about.

"That's interesting. Kisame has been known to associate with some other Akatsuki, but mostly he just likes to scare the younger generations." Jirayia says.

Hmm. It appeared that his boyfriend was fairly well known to the scientists. Well known enough that they knew him by name and his habits. Then again, Kisame had a habit of an impression. So perhaps, that wasn't entirely surprising.

"That does sound like him." Itachi concedes.

"See if you can get him to come and speak with us. We still monitor him, but he stopped coming for supplies awhile ago. He appears to be entirely self-sufficient." The blonde continues.

Itachi pauses. He really didn't want to bring Kisame over there, but he didn't have much of a choice. The scientists were potentially his lifeline, if things suddenly went bad. He needed their approval or at least toleration on some level.

"Alright." The Uchiha says reluctantly as he swims over to his boyfriend.

"The scientists want to speak with you directly. Would you mind humoring them?" Itachi asks softly.

Maybe, Kisame would humor them. Just a quick hi and bye, might do the trick. Though Itachi sincerely doubted he'd be that lucky.

"You want me to talk to the eggheads?" The other merman asks in surprise.

"Yes, but don't call them that. That's horribly rude." Itachi scolds him.

"Right. Right. Forget that you're all prim and proper until you shove your tongue halfway down my throat and make those sexy moans of yours." He says pleasantly.

Itachi rolls his eyes playfully. That was Kisame. The man was just completely outrageous. Accurate, but still outrageous.

"Precisely. Will you talk to them?" Itachi asks again.

"I guess, I can humor them. It'd make you happy and that's something that I want to do." The other man says.

The Dolphin Type couldn't help, but smile at this. Kisame's personality may be abrasive at times, but Itachi was beginning to think that maybe his feelings were about more than just lust. He supposed only time would tell.

"That was surprisingly sweet of you." The Uchiha observes.

"Well yeah. If you're happy, I get to hear more of those sexy moans of yours." Kisame says cheekily.

Alright. Well that was markedly less romantic. Still at the very least, Itachi knew that Kisame was an honest merman.

"Good to know. Come. Let's get this over with. Be careful around the dark haired one though. I don't trust Orochimaru." He whispers as the two of them swim back to the scientists.

Meanwhile Danzo was pouring over the documents that he had stolen. It was a treasure trove of information. There was so much more to the mermen and mermaids than what was being told to the public.

"Fascinating." He mutters as he begins reading the files over in earnest.

 **There are currently three generations of crossbreeds. The first is known as the First Generation. Though it is often called the Akatsuki as well. The Second Generation is known as precisely that and is sometimes referred to as the Beta Generation. Finally, there is the Third Generation. No informal name has decided upon as of yet.**

 **The Akatsuki was the most wild of the three. Perhaps, that is to be expected as they were the first to enter this program. Their animalistic instincts are stronger than the Beta Generation and likely the Third Generation as well. (Though there isn't currently much data available for the newest generation and at the moment, that is more speculation than anything else).**

 **They tend to be much larger than their descendents. The Akatsuki also tend to be loners or only travel in very small groups. Groups of two or three have been known to form. Though double digit numbers are almost unheard of.**

 **The Beta Generation is smaller and much less aggressive. The Second Generation have superior control over their animal instincts, but they still lose themselves to their animal counterparts sometimes. They are far more likely to travel in groups than the previous generation.**

 **Little is known about the Third Generation at this point. They are the most diverse generation as far as Subtype goes and are on par with the Beta Generation when it comes to size. More information will be documented as it is recorded.**

"Hmm. It will be good to hear more about the Third Generation. They will likely share more in common with mine than the other two." The elderly man says thoughtfully.

Truthfully, he didn't relish the idea of becoming part Sea Slug. Regrettably, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. There were clearly many species that humans had been crossbred with, but it was his age that was the problem.

He could go for a more imposing species. Something suitably intimidating and graceful like a tiger shark would naturally be his preference, but was its really worth the risk? Pride often came before the fall.

"Well I was always a survivor. If that means accepting a more humble creature's DNA inside me than so be it." The wealthy man mutters.

He would have to make copies of these files. The information found in them was invaluable. Danzo knew that he would have to take the original files back to the lab though.

Tsunade, Jirayia, and Orochimaru would notice, if they went missing for too long. That meant that he would have to act quickly. If they found out that he had "borrowed" them, all Hell would break loose.

"I certainly can't allow that to happen." The man murmurs.

Danzo wasn't like these other saps who were signing up for this program. He wanted to go into this with his eyes wide open. The more information that he could get his hands on before he took the final plunge, the better.

He had always been one to look before he leapt. A habit that had served him well over the years. While others had failed, Danzo had succeeded.

"Many people would call me paranoid, but I prefer to think of it as realistic caution." The elderly man says to himself as he heads back to the lab, after making his copies.

He knew that the three of them would be off doing Drop Offs. Apparently, they gave out supplies to the mermaids and mermen that wanted them. What these supplies consisted of, he wasn't entirely certain. Danzo did assume that food was involved though.

"All I have to do is get these files back where I found them and sneak off." Danzo whispers to himself.

Of course, there were many guards at this facility. It would have been stupid not to have them. That was alright though. Danzo had the highest security clearance possible. He'd get in and out with ease.

The only thing he had to worry about was getting caught. Getting caught stealing documents. That wouldn't be good, even for someone like him. Someone who had more than enough money to buy their way out of most trouble.

"Hello. I was told that Orochimaru wanted to speak with me." Danzo says to one of the guards.

This wasn't an unusual occurrence. The guards didn't think twice about letting him in because of that. So the elderly man was easily able to slip inside and return the original documents.

"They'll never know." He chuckles as he darts off. (Well as fast as a man in his 70s could dart off anyway).

At that same time, Konan was swimming with her pod when she discovered something very strange. There was construction going on. Construction in the ocean.

"What the?" The Jellyfish Subtype asks as she glances at her Mate in confusion.

"I have no idea what's going on, but there are a lot of our kind are working on something. We should go and investigate." Pain suggests.

Konan nods in agreement. With that in mind, the Jellyfish all head towards the construction zone. They quickly look around and try to assess the situation. Their number one goal was to find the leader or at least someone willing to talk to them.

"Hello. How may I help you?" Obito asks.

"We're curious as to what's going on here." Pain asks.

"We're building a city. A Capital for our people. All of our kind are welcome. No matter the generation." The Clownfish Type says.

Hmm. That was unexpected. Though perhaps, Konan should have seen it coming in retrospect. It was unlikely that everyone would want to live a wild lifestyle forever.

"Who is in charge of this Capital?" The blue haired mermaid asks softly.

"I am. My Mate and I will lead this place. Unfortunately, she is indisposed at the moment. She will be available for the grand opening of Sharingan though. That's what we're calling it." He explains.

Indisposed didn't sound good. The woman must be sick. That or she was having a difficult time adjusting to her new life.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind me asking, what generation are the two of you in?" The Jellyfish Subtype inquires in what she hoped was a tactic way.

"I don't mind you asking. We're both Akatsuki. First Generation. What of you and your Mate?" Obito asks.

"We're both Second Generation. I'm Pain and this is my Mate, Konan. It is a pleasure to meet you." Pain replies.

Konan wasn't so sure about that. There was something in Obito's eyes that unnerved her. She couldn't put her tail on it though.

At that moment, she decides to speak with Itachi about it. He was an intelligent merman. Surely, he'd be able to help her figure out what was going on.

"The pleasure is all mine. I can assure you." Obito says with a charming smile.

A short while later, Itachi and Kisame had finished speaking with the scientists and were on their way. Itachi was still twitching in annoyance. His boyfriend had decided to get rather colorful with his answers.

"I can't believe that you actually said that to them!" He hisses at Kisame.

"Oh come on. It was funny. Didn't you see the look on his face?" The blue skinned merman asks.

Itachi didn't find it particularly amusing. How dare Kisame pull such a sick joke on the scientists. Orochimaru had it coming, of course. Jirayia and Tsunade certainly didn't though.

"You told him that we were Mates and that you were trying to get me pregnant!" He growls at him.

"Well we kinda are Mates. It's a bit early for children though." The other man says thoughtfully.

Itachi would have hit Kisame, if he wasn't carrying the box of supplies. Honestly, what was the matter with him? One didn't tell scientists that male pregnancy was possible as a joke!

"Kisame, we're at most dating. We aren't Mates. I'm still not really sure what that even means and you can't joke about things like that! They'd probably put me in a cell somewhere and experiment on me, if they seriously thought I was pregnant!" He roars at him.

"Itachi, calm down. I would never let that happen to you. I'd literally rip all their heads off before they even thought about slicing off your pretty tail." Kisame assures him as he pulls him into his arms and rumbles.

Itachi wasn't really sure what that noise was. It something similar to a purr, but more guttural. It certainly wasn't a growl. Whatever it was, it was very soothing.

He sighs in contentment and closes his eyes. At the moment, the Uchiha was more than willing to let Kisame just swim them back to their cave. That thought should have bothered him, but it didn't.

"Can mermen actually get pregnant?" He murmurs sleepily in the Akatsuki's arms as they continue their journey.

"I guess you'll find out later. For now, let's just get back home and you can get some sleep. Don't think that I didn't notice those yawns of yours. You're half asleep as is." The other merman tells him.

"Alright. Later then." Itachi agrees.

He didn't really know why he felt so content over a rumble. Itachi was just coherent enough to know that was the source of his sudden contentment, but not coherent enough to be particularly worried about it. For now, he decides to pawn it off to animal instinct.

"You got it." Kisame agrees as he they swim into the cave and Kisame sets him down on a bed of kelp.

It was strange, but kelp was apparently rather comfortable. The material served as blankets and other things down here. Really, it was fascinating to see what you could use under the ocean and what you couldn't for everyday life.

"Thanks." He says as he snuggles underneath the blankets.

"You're welcome. Mates is like our version of a marriage by the way. It's deeper than that. You bite the other person and leave a Mark on their neck. We aren't really sure how it works, but it creates a psychological bond." The Akatsuki explains.

That was interesting. Itachi knew that if he was more awake, he'd likely have more questions about such an unusual development. As it was though, he was struggling just to keep his eyes open.

"What kind of psychological bond?" He inquires sleepily.

"Well they are able to sense where the other is over pretty long distances. It does appear to have a limit though. I mean if you were on the other side of the planet, I wouldn't feel you. You can also feel your Mate's emotions. You can share strength. That and it's supposed to make the sex, pretty fang-tastic. So I've heard anyway." Kisame adds with a smirk.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. Sometimes, Kisame really did have a one track mind. It was alright though. On some level, he knew that the other merman cared about him and that was enough for now.

That and Itachi had needs as much as anyone else. He just wasn't as vocal about expressing them as his potential Mate was. They'd have to find a happy medium at some point.

Back on land, Hiashi watches as more and more people file in. Good. It was a good turnout. That meant that their message was truly resonating with people.

"Thank you all, for coming here today. I wouldn't have organized this meeting, if I didn't think that it was important." He says to the crowd.

They all murmur their greetings and Hiashi Hyuga nods in approval. Deciding that he had their attention, the Hyuga Patriarch deems it appropriate to proceed.

"As you are all no doubt aware, the a new field of science is developing. Genetic engineering is being used to cross animal DNA with human DNA. A new species has formed. Scientist are overjoyed at this, but I believe that we all know it is wrong for several reasons." He begins.

Hinata stands in the back next to Naruto and Sasuke. They had all grown up together and that made it easier to endure her father's "sermons." Though Hiashi wasn't a preacher, he was certainly preaching to the choir here.

"Hinata, your dad has totally lost it." The blonde whispers in her ear and the Hyuga Heiress could only nod in agreement.

"The first is that it's morally wrong. Nature should be allowed to run its course. The second is because we really have no idea what will become of any of these people who have agreed to be testing subjects. Human testing when it is not to cure a disease in my view is wrong. We are not mere animals. We are not lab rats!" Hiashi thunders at the crowd and he receives roars of applause in response.

Good. Good. These were all good signs. If there was a large enough public outcry, maybe they could stop this. They could stop these experiments before they reached the point of no return.

"Hear, here!" Someone shouts from the crowd and Hinata winces.

She wasn't entirely certain if her father truly recognized what was going on, but she did. The scientists weren't doing this purely out of scientific curiosity. They knew that humanity was running out of time to cure their overpopulation problem.

Society was dangerously close to collapsing. That was why they were doing it. Hinata supported the endeavor and that was why she brought Sasuke and Naruto with her.

"Does he know that my brother is in the program?" Sasuke whispers to Hinata.

"No. If he did, I don't think that he'd let you in the door. Well unless you hated your brother or were inconsolable." She tells him honestly.

Sasuke's brother was now in the program and she knew that her two friends were considering joining. Odds were that the youngest Uchiha would do so because his brother had already become a merman. Naruto would likely follow his best friend.

Hinata wasn't going to be left behind. They were her two best friends in the entire world. If she could get them to see her side of things, maybe they could convince Neji and Hanabi to join them under the sea.

"I figured as much. This is going to get ugly. Though as long as mermaids and mermen stay away from the shore, there's very little that he can do about it. I mean it's not like Hiashi Hyuga has an army of submarines or anything." Sasuke says.

"Yeah. That's true, even Hinata's dad doesn't have a bunch of sub stashed away for a rainy day." Naruto agrees.

Hinata felt a bit better now. They knew where she stood and hopefully, they would come up with a plan. She loved her father dearly, but she wasn't going to die because he was scared of change.

That and she certainly wasn't going to allow him to drag her younger sister down with him. No. Now was the time to act.


	5. Chapter 5

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I am mulling over what species to make other characters later on. There have also been some requests to see Suigetsu x Sasuke as a side pairing. Please feel free to weigh in on those topics or other ones, if you like. Itachi and Kisame would still be the main focus on this story, either way though. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation** : I put up warnings before and after a certain scene. I didn't go into graphic detail, but the "Fourth Generation" of hybrids is about to come into existence. Still I felt that it would be better to warn people, just in case.

Chapter 5

"Ahhh!" Kisame hisses in pain, a few weeks later.

The merman had wanted to surprise him with a romantic dinner, it seemed. Lobster. Unfortunately, one of the lobsters hadn't wanted to contribute to his seduction efforts and had pinched Kisame's tail in several places.

"I know that it hurts, but this salve will help a great deal. It'll make the pain go away or at least lessen it. That and it'll prevent you from getting an infection." Itachi murmurs as he continues applying the salve.

How it was waterproof, he didn't know. Itachi had given up on asking such questions. There were simply too many of them to keep track of. At a certain point, one just had to accept what was and then keep going.

"I know. It still stings though. Jeez. I'm going to enjoy eating that damn bastard." The Great White Hybrid grumbles.

"Mmm, of course." Itachi replies, not even bothering to hide the amusement in his voice.

Kisame was rather animated about everything. Itachi wouldn't call him hyper. Well not exactly, but he was definitely a passionate person and that was most assuredly reflected in his kisses. (A fact that Itachi enjoyed).

"Well I suppose that it's not so bad. At least, I have a sexy doctor to patch me up." Kisame says with a grin.

Itachi shakes his head and smiles. The other merman was rather generous with his compliments. Truthfully, it was a relief to be able to do something for Kisame that he couldn't necessarily do for himself.

The merman very much seemed to relish his role as the protector and provider. Itachi could hunt and he did, but it wasn't by necessity. The Great White seemed to delight in doing it for him.

"That's certainly one way to look at it." Itachi says with smile as he leans over and kisses him.

Kisame returns its almost immediately. That was one of the nice things about the Akatsuki. He was always eager to return Itachi's affection. He lavished him with it really.

Of course, Itachi had already decided that Kisame was a deviant of the highest order. Though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Just as long as he didn't get any ideas about using the sharpest version of his teeth or too aggressive, the Dolphin Type didn't mind that.

"Mhm. I prefer to look on the bright side of things. Good thing that salve was in that box of goodies." Kisame says thoughtfully.

That box of goodies had a lot of things in it. Food, clothes, tools, weapons, and medicine. If Itachi had truly been struggling, it would have been a lifeline. As it was though, it was just nice to have a few extra things.

Not that he really needed them. Kisame was absolutely intent on spoiling him. Itachi didn't mind though. He'd humor the Great White.

"Yes, a very good thing. So you said that Sasori and Deidara would be visiting us?" Itachi inquires as he checks on the lobster.

It was supposed to be for a romantic dinner, but the mood was a little ruined. So Kisame had sent out a turtle with a message to inform his friends that they should stop by. Apparently, sea turtles were this world's version of messenger pigeons.

"Well I know Deidara will. He never turns down a free meal. As for Sasori, that's a bit more dicey. He'll probably come because Deidara is though. It'll be nice to have some company." Kisame says brightly.

"Mhm." Itachi agrees with the other merman.

He was fairly certain that Kisame just wanted to show him off. The Akatsuki wanted to show off his boyfriend or whatever Itachi was to him. The Uchiha still wasn't exactly sure what the proper term for their relationship was to be honest.

Perhaps labels didn't really matter in this particular situation. Kisame obviously cared about him in his own unique way. Itachi enjoyed the attention and found himself growing increasingly fond of the Great White. Maybe, that was all that really mattered.

"Always funny to watch them fight like cats and dogs." He adds.

"Of course. This isn't just an elaborate plan of yours to show me off, is it?" The Uchiha asks with mischief reflecting in his dark eyes.

"Well that too. Who can blame me though? Got myself one hot little Nurturer." He states happily.

Little Nurturer? What was that supposed to mean. That sounded more like a term than a nickname. There was something that Kisame wasn't telling him and Itachi was going to find out what.

"What's that mean? What do you mean when you call me a Nurturer?" The Dolphin Type demands.

"Well there are basically two types of mermaids and mermen. Protectors and Nurturers. I'm pretty sure that you're the Nurturing Type. I'm a Protector." He answers vaguely.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Ksiame was being rather cryptic. That wasn't a word that the Uchiha had ever associated with him before. This Nurturer and Protector thing must be bad news.

"I assumed that more goes into the classifications than just the basic human definitions of those words. So I would like more details." He states firmly.

Like Hell was he going to allow Kisame to keep secrets from him, especially stuff like this. He had a right to know what he was!

"Well usually humans would associate the Protector role with males and the Nurturer role with females. Here it doesn't have anything to do with masculine or feminine traits though. Protectors and Nurturers come in both genders." He replies warily.

So that was it. Kisame was worried that Itachi would believe that the other merman was insulting his masculinity. That certainly explained his odd behavior, but Itachi still needed to know more.

"Yes, Kisame. I understand. These Protector and Nurturer Distinctions have nothing to do with gender. Continue." He says reassuringly.

"Well Protectors tend to be more aggressive. We like to hunt more than Nurturers for the most part. We're biologically designed to protect our Mate and children." He says.

Protectors were similar to the archetype of fathers. That made sense. No wonder, Kisame was so nervous. He thought he was basically calling Itachi a mother, it seemed.

"That makes sense." Itachi offers encouragingly.

"Yeah. Nurturers well, they are very caring. They like to make sure everyone is happy. Nurturers tend to love kids and stuff like that." Kisame finishes.

"Well I suppose being a Nurturer isn't so bad then. Both Types certainly have their place in continuing the survival of our new species." Itachi says with a smile.

Meanwhile Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto had managed to slip away from the bluenette's overprotective father. That was no small feat, but Sasuke digressed. They were now on the beach and enjoying a well deserved rest.

A well deserved rest form his "preaching." Hiashi was getting out of control. Sasuke was pretty sure that his opposition to the hybrids was based more out of fear of change than anything else.

"Hinata, your dad is totally losing it." Naruto says.

Hiashi Hyuga had a good life on land. The man probably didn't want to trade that in for a pair of fins. Not that Sasuke could entirely blame him, even he was a little scared of what was going to happen next.

That wasn't going to stop him though. Itachi had already taken the plunge. It was a foregone conclusion that he would as well. It was the least that he could do, after everything that Itachi had done for him.

"I know. We'll have to sign up to be part of the Fourth Generation. If he keeps this up, we won't have time to wait for the Fifth." Hinata whispers.

"Do you think that they'll give us a choice for what kind of animal's DNA, we'll get?" Sasuke asks thoughtfully.

He really hoped that he wouldn't get something stupid. Sea Slugs came to mind, for instance. Though Sasuke knew that it wasn't smart to be picky in this context.

"I don't know. Did they give Itachi a choice?" Naruto asks.

"They didn't say, if they did or not. All the scientists did was send me a letter saying that Itachi had successfully become a merman. He's a Dolphin Subtype." The youngest Uchiha says.

"Dolphins are cute." Hinata says with a smile.

Yeah. They were. It was possible that Itachi had chosen that animal on his own. That or maybe, he had just gotten lucky.

Sasuke doubted that last part though. They had never been very lucky. Their parents had died when Itachi was a senior in high school. Thankfully, he was old enough to access his inheritance and be Sasuke's guardian.

He still missed them. Sasuke missed his parents, but he knew that Itachi would always be there for him. Itachi was his big brother and now, it was his turn to return the favor. For Itachi, Sasuke was willing to trade in his feet for fins.

"Yeah." Sasuke agrees and then he blinks.

He had been about to say something else, when he saw something out in the water. Something white. Shit. Was that a Great White?

"Um we should probably go. I think that there's something in the water and it might not be friendly." The Uchiha says.

"Wait. What'd you see?" Naruto asks as he looks out into the water, but it was gone now.

"I'm not sure. Whatever it was, it was white though." Sasuke says as he glances back at the beach, but sees nothing.

His friends seem a bit uncertain, but they follow Sasuke off. It was better safe than sorry these days. At least, that was their logic.

"Do you really think that was Itachi's brother?" Deidara asks Sasori and Suigetsu.

"The dark haired one did look like Itachi. I'd say so. The scents are similar as well." Sasori observes.

Suigetsu nods in agreement. That had been a close one. For a second, he was sure that the raven haired one had seen him and maybe he had. Thankfully, he didn't get a good enough look to merit an investigation.

He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. It had been awhile, since had last interacted with humans who weren't wearing white lab coats. Oh well.

"Let's head off to Kisame's place and get some free lobster. We can tell them what we saw and see what Itachi says." The violet eyed merman suggests.

"Good idea. Yeah?!" Deidara exclaims as the three of them swim off towards the cave that they all knew Kisame (and Itachi) lived in.

Elsewhere Obito decides to check on Rin. He knew why she was having difficulty with this pregnancy. She was a woman and it was the male Seahorses that carried the babies.

That didn't make it any easier though. His Mate had been struggling with this pregnancy for far longer than any human would have. Gradually growing weaker and weaker.

"How are you feeling, today?" He whispers as he takes her hand in his own.

"The same as yesterday. Don't look at me as if I am already dead." She tells him with a wistful smile.

 **Warning the Fourth Generation is Coming**

They both knew that was a very real possibility. Rin was a fighter, but her new biology just wasn't compatible with her pregnancy. This just simply wouldn't do.

"I think that we only have one option." A Beta mermaid says as she swims over to the King.

"What are our options?" Obito demands to know, eager to help Rin get through this difficult pregnancy.

"We could induce. She's been pregnant a long time. Surely, the baby is fully developed by now." The medic offers.

Obito frowns. He knew what this could mean. It would be now or never, if his Mate agreed. He half wanted her to agree and half prayed that she wouldn't.

"We could take you to see the human doctors." He whispers.

"We both know that's not a choice. I'd never make it that far. My Love, I think that it's time for us to accept whatever cards fate is about to deal us." She whispers as she kisses him.

Obito kisses back. This might very well be the last time that he would ever have that privilege. It was now in Fate's hands now. Well and the hands of a mermaid.

"I'll do my best to take good care of her." The Beta promises and with that, she administers the medication that would induce.

Several hours later and one terrified Obito later, the King hears the cry of his newborn son or daughter. Finally, it was over. The pregnancy was over and Rin was still alive!

 **The Fourth Generation has Arrived**

"Congratulations, Your Majesties. You have a beautiful little princess." Sakura says, after delivering the baby.

Sakura was a Beta Generation mermaid. The pink haired mermaid was a Pufferfish Type. She had a tail that could inflate into a ball with lots of defensive needles. In its natural state, it was pure white with the quills on top of it, but not sticking outwards. Hence, it was actually safe to touch her.

"Oh thank God. How are you feeling, My Dearest?" Obito asks.

"Weak, but better. Is the baby okay?" She asks desperately.

"The baby is fine. She's beautiful. Have a look." Sakura says with a smile.

Rin and Obito quickly look down at their daughter. She had surprisingly long raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her tail was orange like a clownfish, but made out of the same material as a Seahorse's. Obito had never seen anything so beautiful before.

"She's perfect, My Love. Just like her mother." He says as he kisses the top of her head.

"Mmm she has as bit of her father in her too." Rin says with an exhausted smile.

Back at Kisame's Cave, the happy couple was getting ready to meet their guests. Kisame was quite pleased to have company over. He hadn't been lying when he said he wanted to show Itachi off some more.

Really, it wasn't his fault. He was a Protector. It was just ingrained in his new biology to be proud of his prospective Mate. Was that really so bad?

"It's good to see you again, Itachi! Yeah?! I brought Suigetsu and Sasori with me! We're going to have a great time eating lobster together." The eccentric blonde cries out merrily.

"Yes, that's the plan. Oh and it's nice to meet you, Suigetsu." Itachi replies with a smile.

That was another thing about Itachi. He was always really polite. Kisame didn't get how anyone could be that polite and not come across as fake, but that was just part of who Itachi was.

"Thanks. So they said you had a little brother, right?" The other Great White Shark Type inquires.

Yeah. Suigetsu was a Great White. The brat was just liked him in that way. The only difference was he was an Akatsuki and Suigetsu was a member of the Second Generation.

Despite that, Kisame thought of the smaller Great White as a brother of sorts. The age gap wasn't quite big enough for him to be Suigetsu's father figure, but sometimes the blue skinned Akatsuki did feel that way about the little psycho.

"Yes, I do. He's about your age actually. Why do you ask?" Itachi responds.

"Well we saw some humans on the beach. One of them looked like you. Thought it might be him. Don't worry. He didn't see us. Well he might have seen us, but only for a second. Not enough to get in the water, anyway." The other man explains in a rush.

He had a lot of fond feelings for his little Prodigy in the Art of Murder. Well since Suigetsu brought it up, Kisame was now considering something that he hadn't before. If Sasuke became like them, he'd need someone his own age to explore the ocean with. Suigetsu fit that bill.

"Oh. He might have been looking for me. I told him that such actions were pointless. Not until he becomes a merman. I gave the scientists specific instructions to release him where they released me." The older merman says.

"That's nice of you to look out for him in that way. Becoming like us, can be overwhelming at first." Sasori comments.

"Ah ha! I knew that you were just a bit softie, underneath it all. Yeah?!" Deidara asks with a grin.

Not surprisingly, Sasori bops him over the head for his efforts. Kisame could only chuckle in response. He was glad that his almost Mate wasn't nearly as violent as Sasori.

Itachi was nice and mellow. He seemed to understand the roles of Protectors and Nurturers instinctively. Of course, Kisame wasn't a cavefish. He wouldn't make the other merman follow them to the letter.

"You're such an idiot." Sasori says as he rolls his eyes.

There was no malice in his voice though. Sasori was in love with Deidara, even if he wouldn't admit it. The other Protector just wasn't very good at expressing it.

Nurturers were better at that sort of thing. Protectors preferred to show their love through actions. Hunting for their Mate. Protecting them. Things like that.

"I am not! Yeah?!" The blue eyed Octopus Type protests.

Kisame snorts in amusement. Thankfully, Itachi was used to such antics now. He had gotten to know Deidara well and to a lesser extent, Sasori.

The merman was familiar enough with the dynamics of their relationship, that Itachi was no longer concerned about their play fighting. That was a good thing because otherwise, Kisame would have had to deal with one very panicked Nurturer.

"Whatever. Will you two just kiss and make up? Kisame and Itachi made lobster. Lets eat!" Suigetsu says happily, only to cry out in pain when he gets swatted by Sasori.

"Mind your manners. You shouldn't just interrupt a conversation like that. It's very rude, even if you just wanted your food." The red headed merman says.

Suigetsu merely rolls his eyes in response. Kisame knew exactly what the other man was thinking. Since when did they care about manners? Never. That's since when!

"Whatever." He mutters as he looks at Itachi hopefully.

"Alright. Alright. Don't worry. We have plenty." Itachi says with a chuckle as he shows them were all the food was.

Back on land, Danzo sighs as he turns on the news. Hiashi Hyuga was leading the opposition to the program. That was bad news.

Hiashi had a lot of political and economic power. He was a public figure who carried a lot of influence. He'd have to find a way to stop this and soon.

"I'm not going to die because he's too cowardly to see what needs to be done." He mutters angrily to himself.

He really didn't want to have to go to extremes. Assassination was an option, but that would just make him a martyr. That simply wouldn't do.

"Perhaps, kidnapping though. He does have two daughters. If one of them were to become a mermaid, he might change his tune." Danzo ponders out loud.

Naturally, he wasn't particularly eager to explore that option. Danzo did have some limits. Not many, but he did have some.

Kidnapping an innocent girl would surely be testing the limits of whatever shattered remains were left of his moral compass. He would do it though. Danzo would do it, if it meant saving his own life.

"That and in the long run, it would be saving hers as well." He theorizes.

There wasn't that much time yet. The threat wasn't imminent, but it was most certainly getting there. There simply wasn't going to be enough room for everyone on land at this rate.

Humanity would have to adapt or die. So Danzo was going to attempt. If that meant that he had to do a few things that he found distasteful such as kidnapping or becoming part Sea Slug, well the elderly man would do them without any hesitation.

"There simply isn't enough time to coddle the Traditionalists." He grumbles to himself.

That's what they called themselves. The Traditionalists. They believed in a traditional idea of humanity. For whatever reason, they thought that humans should stay the way they were or evolve naturally.

Danzo was almost certain that they didn't fully understand what was about to happen. Was tradition really worth dying over? He certainly respected traditions, but only to a point.

"I'm not going to die for them. That's just ridiculous." He growls to himself as he pours another bottle of sake.

After all, he had to pass the time somehow. Sai wasn't due for another half hour or so. Sai was an employee of his. A bright boy, but utterly emotionless.

Any emotion the boy expressed was faked. Danzo made sure of that. His most faithful employees were known as ROOTS. They were like the roots underneath the tree that held the mighty oak up. Unseen, but vital.

"Lord Danzo?" He hears someone call out from behind the door.

Hmm. That was Sai's voice. He was early. Oh well. It was better than standing around and doing nothing. The sooner they got on with all this, the better off that they would be.

"Coming." He states simply as he walks over to the door and opens it.

The pale youth quickly strides inside. He was a model of efficiency. That was one of the things that Danzo liked best about him.

Not that he was foolish enough to get attached to any ROOT Member. It was just that Danzo prided himself on recognizing good work and rewarding it. How else, would he have stayed in power so long?

"I've gathered the information that you asked. Of course, this is only a rough sketch and you should keep in mind that some hybrids are nomadic. Still I do believe that it is a reasonable start." Sai says as he hands Danzo a rather thick folder.

A folder that was filled with information about where various mermen and mermaids were living. If Danzo was going to be a merman, it would be best for him to know where the population centers were and this would enable him to do that. Frankly put, it was invaluable.

"Thank you, Sai. You've done, very well." He says with a smirk as he glances over the files eagerly.


	6. Chapter 6

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place six months after the last one.

Chapter 6

He had been a merman for several months now and it was getting harder to remember there had been a time when he was completely human. Itachi's human life was feeling more and more like a memory of a dream. Perhaps it was because he had settled into his life as a merman or maybe, it had something to do with his dolphin D.N.A.

Itachi wasn't really sure what kind of long-term memories dolphins had. Maybe, that was why his human life was becoming more and more fuzzy. He did remember one thing though. Sasuke.

"What's wrong? You're looking pretty damn serious over there." Kisame asks in concern.

"It's just that I'm worried that I won't remember my human life at this rate. My memories are becoming more blurry. Did that happen to you?" The raven haired merman asks.

"Yeah. I think it's normal. If I try enough, I can remember my human life. Well at least the important details. The basics. I know what I did for a living. I know where I lived. Things like that. Why are you so worried about remembering your human life though?" The Akatsuki replies.

The Dolphin Type pauses as he tries to figure out the best way to answser that question. Kisame seemed completely at home in the sea and he didn't want to offend the other man. It was just that Itachi was worried about losing a core part of his identity.

"There's Sasuke to consider. My little brother. He's the one that I did this for. I wanted to go first. I wanted to make sure that it was safe for him. What if I don't remember him? Not only that, I want to remember what it was like before. Eventually, large swaths of humanity are going to become like us. I don't want the history of our species to be partially erased." Itachi responds thoughtfully.

To his surprise, Kisame captures his lips in his own. Well that hadn't been what Itachi had been expecting in response, but he certainly wasn't going to argue. If there was one thing that the Akatsuki was good at besides hunting, it was kissing.

Itachi smiles and returns the kiss. He was really good at kissing. He'd never had someone who kissed him that way. Someone who clearly wasn't afraid to take charge and yet, didn't make him feel like he had no say in the matter.

"Itachi, you told your little brother where you were going to be. Let's say that you don't remember him. He's not a merman yet. He's going to remember you. It takes time for memories to begin to fade. He'll find you before it becomes an issue and he will refresh your memory." Kisame promises him as he caresses his cheek.

Itachi sighs and nods. He couldn't help, but lean into the surprisingly gentle touch. Kisame was apparently a Protector. It was his job to well protect things. Apparently in this case, that meant Itachi.

It seemed that applied even to his feelings. Kisame was excellent at comforting him in a rather unusual way. It was something that the Uchiha had come to appreciate greatly over the past few months.

"I suppose you're right, but it's already jarring enough. This is a completely different world than the one above the surface of the ocean waves. I don't want to hurt his feelings by not remembering him. What about my other points though?" Itachi inquires in amusement.

"Eh. I guess that I've never really been a big picture thinker. I'm happier down here with you than I ever was on the surface. Humanity has a long history, but large chunks of it aren't that good. Maybe, it's better to forget some of them. Though I doubt that will happen. Someone will preserve it. So don't worry about it." The other man says.

Itachi shakes his head in exasperation and smiles. That was Kisame's response to almost anything. Don't worry about it.

There was an implicit message to those words though. Every single time that the Akatsuki said it, Itachi could hear it. Just lurking underneath the surface was the implied, _"Don't worry about anything. I'll handle it."_

"Alright, I guess. So you and Suigetsu seem close. Is it just because you're both Great White Types or did you know each other before all this?" Itachi asks.

"Oh I knew the kid. He lived in my neighborhood. He was always getting into all sorts of trouble. It was funny as Hell. I guess I have a soft spot for him and I think that he might have a soft spot for your brother." Kisame informs him with a chuckle.

A soft spot for his brother?! Suigetsu liked Sasuke? How was that possible though. He had only seen him once.

Well Itachi understood how it was possible to be attracted to someone that you didn't know that well. Then again, he really didn't know the violet eyed merman that way. Was it possible that he was one of those people who believed in love at first sight?

"What makes you think that?" Itachi asks.

"Eh. I guess you have a right to know. I don't want you to get freaked out. Kid has been going to the shore a lot. It seems like your brother goes to the beach a lot with a couple friends. A blonde boy and some girl with lavender eyes. I think they might be looking for you. Suigetsu watches them." The blue skinned man admits.

Itachi blinks. He wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He wanted Sasuke to be happy and to find love, of course. It was just that his foolish little brother had never dated much. He was woefully inexperienced and Suigetsu didn't seem like the type to take things slow.

Sasuke had always been focused on his students. At first, he had wanted their father's approval and that was the fastest way to gain it from the stern Japanese Businessman. After their parents died though, well Sasuke rarely focused on much else besides school and his two friends. Hinata and Naruto.

"Do you think that it's just a harmless crush or is this something that I should be concerned about? Am I going to have to give him a talk? I can threaten to rip off all his scales and fangs, if he hurts my foolish little brother." Itachi demands.

"Well it's hard to say, really. Suigetsu is at that age. It's hard to tell if it's just Guppy Love or something more. I'd probably have the talk with him, just in case though. You know, you're even hotter when you're threatening to torture people. Of course, I really don't want you to traumatize my little buddy for life. I'm just saying." Kisame msays with a grin.

Hmm. So Kisame though that it was potentially serious. Yes, Itachi was most certainly to have a talk with Suigetsu.

"Guppy Love? Don't you mean Puppy Love?" Itachi inquires in amusement.

"Nah. I mean Guppy. I figure it goes with the whole under the water theme better than puppy. Shame that we can't have dogs down here. I'm sure that you would have liked to have something cute and fluffy to play with." The Akatsuki reasons.

"Well you aren't fluffy, but you are cute in a rather otherworldly way. I like dogs well enough, of course. I just don't need one down here. Not when I have you." Itachi says with a sly smile.

Every day his feelings for Kisame grew stronger. Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely certain how to act on them. Well beyond kissing.

How did mermen even couple? If they were both still human, the Uchiha would know what to do. They weren't though and Itachi was too embarrassed to ask at the moment.

"Awe. That's sweet." Kisame says and Itachi could only smile in return.

For now, the Uchiha was content to leave their relationship the way that it was. Relatively innocent. They could figure out the rest later.

Meanwhile Sasuke watches as Hinata continues writing her letter. He and Naruto were both in her bedroom. Hiashi was never particularly happy about that, but he figured that the walls were thin enough for it to be safe.

"Do you really think that a letter is going to make him understand?" Naruto asks.

They were thin enough that Hiashi Hyuga was confident that he would hear if something _inappropriate_ was happening. Not that the man had a real reason to be so worried about such things anyway. Sasuke was gay and Naruto was oblivious.

His best friend was completely oblivious to the fact that Hinata was obviously in love with him. Honestly, Sasuke was about to smack him over the head with his thickest textbook until the message got through his extremely thick skull. " _ **Hinata is in love with you, you idiot!"**_

"I don't know, but I have to try." Hinata whispers.

"At least this way, he knows that she didn't die. At least this way, he won't be left wondering forever. He'll know what happened to her." Sasuke says in his friend's defense.

Not that he thought that Naruto was putting Hinata down. He was just asking what anyone would. How could a letter explain all this?

Sadly, they were running out of time. It was likely now or never. The Traditionalists were now picking up steam, but so were their counterparts. The Survivalists.

The Survivalists believed that the genetic engineering program was humanity's best (and maybe only) hope of survival. They were willing to do whatever it took to make sure that humankind didn't go extinct. To say the least, the two fractions loathed each other.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Well at least we convinced Hanabi and Neji to come along with us. It would have sucked, if we had to leave them behind." Naruto whispers.

Sasuke nods in agreement. Hinata would have been absolutely devastated and that meant that Naruto would be as well. Both of his best friends would be blue and that was way to start a new life.

Speaking of new lives, they had to start theirs soon. The Traditionalists and the Survivalists were now starting to actively fight each other. That was bad news for the people stuck in the middle.

"Yes, it would. Have you got everything packed?" Neji asks softly as he walks into Hinata's room with Hanabi at his side.

"Yes, we do. We'll leave tonight." The Hyuga woman replies and her family members nod approvingly.

Sasuke was pretty sure that the majority of people were neither Survivalists, nor Traditionalists. Many were simply in denial about what was happening or fell somewhere in the middle.

There were a lot of people who had valid concerns about the possible ramifications of genetic engineering, who simply didn't want to die. They were too frightened to take the plunge just yet, but they probably would eventually. Sasuke called them the Undecided Camp or the Undecideds for short.

"We can do this. I hope I get something pretty like a Seahorse!" Hanabi says happily.

There were also the Deniers. They simply refused to face the fact that the surface of the Earth was no longer big enough to support the growing human population. Drastic steps would have to be taken and they refused to see that. Sasuke felt sorry for the Deniers, but he was also scared of them.

They were likely going to be the most violent group, once they realized what was happening. Once they could no longer deny that they had no choice. That's when they would likely snap and things would get even more bloody than they currently were.

"Alright. Let's go." Hinata says and with that, the group all slowly sneak out of the Hyuga Estate with their briefcases in tow.

Elsewhere Danzo had gone over all the documents that Sai had given him with great care. Today was the day. He simply wasn't going to wait any longer. Recent events had forced the scientists' hands into action sooner than expected.

"Are you certain that you still wish to do this?" Orochimaru asks.

"I'm quite certain. Sai is coming with me. He'll look after me." The elderly man replies.

Sai was indeed standing by his side. He had trained this boy well. If nothing else, Danzo could be certain of his unwavering loyalty to his well-being and that was just the way that he liked it.

"Alright. We are starting the injections for the Fourth Generation tomorrow. So make yourself comfortable. We are doing physicals beforehand. Just to make sure you are in good health before we shoot you up with this stuff." The busty blonde says.

"Don't worry, My Lady. Lord Danzo has always been in excellent physical condition." Sai says with a far too cheerful smile to be normal.

"Thank you, Sai." Danzo says smugly.

He probably should have known the boy would go and say something to ruin it. While Sai was loyal, he had no concept of social cues. He really didn't understand when he was being rude.

"Especially for a man his age." The young man adds helpfully.

"Yes, well that's good to know." Jirayia says with a snort of amusement and Danzo feels his blood boil.

How dare that man laugh at him? He would teach him some respect. For now though, he bites his tongue. The war wouldn't be won in one day.

"Yes, indeed. How many people are going to be in the Fourth Generation?" Danzo asks curiously.

"We expect ten thousand. That's our largest group ever. The Third Generation was only 5000." Tsunade says.

Hmm. Ten thousand. In the grand scheme of things, that was nothing. The Earth had billions of people, but he supposed that they just hadn't been able to gather up enough resources to do more than that right away.

Things were going to get chaotic very shortly. It would be a nightmare when everyone fully understood what was happening. That didn't matter though. At least not to Danzo. He would already be under the sea by the time things really deteriorated.

"Excellent. Shall we begin then?" He asks with a smile on his face.

"Very well. Tsunade, why don't you go give him his physical? We already have hundreds of doctors looking over the test subjects in other locations. We'll be ready to go by tomorrow." Orochimaru informs him.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm very excited to start my new life and I know that Sai is as well." He says as he stands next to the young man who would be his protector in this "new" world.

A short while later, Konan and Pain head towards Kisame's Cave. They knew that Itachi would be there and wanted his opinion on the matter. Sharingan was now fully constructed and apparently Obito had a daughter now. A Princess.

A Monarchy was forming and neither of the Jellyfish really knew how to respond to this. On one hand, it was a good thing because that implied that there would be some sort of civilization in this world. On the other hand, did they really want to repeat history? The time of Kings and Queens had almost never worked out well for the peasants.

"Itachi, are you in here?" Konan calls out softly as she and her Mate swim inside the cave.

"Yes, I'm here. Konan?" She hears a voice respond.

The mermaid sighs in relief. Good. Maybe, now they could come up with some sort of plan about what they should do.

"Thank goodness." Pain mutters as he swims over towards the raven haired merman.

"What are you two doing here and why do you both look like you're about to have a fit?" Kisame asks with a raised eyebrow.

Konan pauses. She probably should have told them earlier, but they had been so wrapped up in each other. She didn't have the heart to distract them from their bonding and really, what could they do about the situation?

"There is a city that has been put up. It's King calls it Sharingan." The Jellyfish Type tells them.

She could see from Itachi's frown that the other man knew exactly what she was thinking. This might not end well. It could quite possibly be left to them to act quickly.

"How big is the place?" Itachi asks warily.

"We estimated there are probably hundreds of mermaids and mermen there. Mostly Second Generation ones. Though I did catch a few Akatsuki swimming around. I don't think any Third Generationers have found the place yet." The Beta Male replies honestly.

Itachi's frown grows. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Surely, there could be benefits to a city. There were also downsides.

After all, isn't that how humans got into trouble in the first place? They had clustered tightly in various eras and thanks to a steady supply of food and potential partners, they had exceeded maximum carrying capacity?

"They're making a city? Sounds great to me. Hey, Itachi. What do you say we go and explore?" Kisame asks with a smirk.

"I don't know if we would be welcome there. There are some Akatsuki, but it's obviously dominated by Betas and I'm a Third Generation." Itachi says nervously.

Kisame shakes his head and Itachi sighs. His boyfriend or whatever Kisame was to him, had apparently made up his mind. Well he might as well go.

Itachi couldn't lie. He was very curious to see this underwater city. What would it be like? What sort of materials would be there? Would there be some kind of market or stores?

"Nah. It'll be fine. No one is going to mess with you, while I'm next to you. Who would be dumb enough to mess with a Great White?" He asks with a smirk.

"I don't know. Maybe, another Great White." Itachi hears a familiar voice say.

It was Suigetsu. What the kid was doing here, he didn't know. Perhaps, he had heard about the city as well and wanted to go with them?

"Smartass. I should kick your fins." Kisame taunts him.

Kicking your fins was apparently the Akatsuki's way of saying, kick your ass. There was a whole new world of slang down here. Another example was Guppy Love.

Itachi sighs and figures that it was going to be awhile before he could memorize all of it. Oh well. That was really the least of his concerns at the moment. They had an underwater city to explore.

"Ha! You wish. Just because you're bigger, doesn't mean that you're stronger. So about this city, are we all going?" He asks hopefully.

Konan snorts in amusement and despite the situation, Itachi finds himself chuckling. There was something about Suigetsu. His enthusiasm for everything was contagious.

His brother was going to have his fins full with this one. Well that was assuming that they ever met. Though if what Kisame had said was anything to go by, the white haired merman was likely going to make sure that he did meet Sasuke.

"Yeah, brat. We're all going. Come on. Let's not make them wait." Kisame says with a smirk.

There was something tremendously sexy about that smirk. Itachi didn't know what it was. Those teeth should have terrified him, but they didn't anymore.

He supposed that was because he knew that Kisame cared about him. It might not have been in an entirely human way, but he did care for him. The Akatsuki's feelings for him did seem rather genuine at this point and that made Itachi happy.

"Yes! This is going to be so awesome!" Suigetsu says happily.

"That really wasn't the point of us telling you about Sharingan. This isn't supposed to be fun. This is serious." Konan reminds them.

"Seriously awesome, you mean!" The violet eyed merman counters.

Itachi shakes his head in exasperation. Yes, Sasuke was definitely going to have his fins full with this one. Oh well. They had a city to explore.

"Let's get going." Itachi says as he swims out of the cave and the others follow him.

Konan and Pain had to lead the way, after awhile. Itachi really had no idea where they were going. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to find Sharingan.

Itachi really didn't know what to make of it. It was like something straight out of a fairytale, a science fiction novel, and a nature documentary all in one. The overall effect was stunning to say the least.

"Wow." Suigetsu whispers and the Uchiha could only nod in agreement.

Wow about covered it. It was fairly large. It seemed like some sunk ships served as buildings. Other buildings had been made out of the material from the ships, wreckage, coral, or more exotic materials. Precious gems and metals.

Here and there, you could see them. Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls, diamonds, and more were visible. Compared to the other building materials, they weren't as numerous. Still they added that something extra special to place.

"This place is beautiful." Itachi agrees.

"Yeah. Let's have a look around. Itachi, stay close. There are a lot of mermen and mermaids swimming around. We don't really know, if they're friendly yet or not." The Akatsuki reminds them.

"I know, but how can I be afraid? I have you to protect me." Itachi says teasingly as he kisses Kisame's cheek.

He knew that saying such silly and romantic things made the other man happy. Before he became a merman, he never would have allowed himself to even pretend to play this part. The Damsel in Distress, but with Kisame it was different.

It made him happy and there was something oddly attractive about how protective the other man was. Again, Itachi assumed that it was likely the influence of the Dolphin D.N.A. coursing through his veins now. That was the most logical explanation.

"That's right. You have absolutely nothing to be worried about." Kisame says smugly.

The smugness was adorable. Itachi felt like kissing him again, but supposed that he shouldn't let himself get distracted that easily. They had to figure out what was going on in Sharingan.

Who had built this city? Why had they built it and most importantly, how had they managed to convince hundreds of mermen and mermaids to help them do so?

"I'm still worried about what Obito is up to. He's the "King" of this place. He's got himself a Mate. They recently had a baby." Pain warns them.

Oh that wasn't good. If they had an animal baby, that would make them more dangerous. Their animalistic instincts might have already taken hoold and this could end in disaster.

"Oh that's nice. We should congratulate them." Suigetsu says brightly.

"I see that you're the sort who always looks on the bright side." Itachi says with a sigh.

"Well yeah. Wait. What do you mean? What did I miss?" He asks and Itachi sighs as he swims into the city with the others.

He didn't really know how to explain it to Kisame's "little brother." It sounded so horribly cynical. Itachi truthfully felt like a jerk for even thinking it, but that didn't mean that it wasn't true.

"If they had a baby, that means they might not be fully in control of themselves. Their animal instincts might be driving them and that could make the King and Queen very dangerous." Itachi warns him.

"Oh. Right. Well let's go find out for sure!" Suigetsu says as he swims off.

"That kid is going to be the death of me one day. What do you say, Itachi? Let's go greet the Royals." Kisame suggests.

Itachi mentally groans. Suigetsu had absolutely no impulse control. He didn't know if that was just his natural personality or the Great White's influence, but either way they had to do something. They couldn't just let him face the King and Queen on his own.

"Yes, let's go meet the King and Queen and kick Suigetsu's tail for being so reckless. I think that he might be even more foolish than Sasuke." He says with a heavy sigh.


	7. Chapter 7

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter because a few new characters will be added.

 **Chapter Notation:** I will describe how the Nurturer/Protector determination is made in this world. It will be a bit different than in _**You're Adopted.**_ (Which also has mermaids/mermen in it, but is more fantasy orientated than Sci-Fi).

Chapter 7

The next day, Sasuke and his friends make their way down to the lab. They had all signed up for the trials. Today would be the day that would change everything.

"How long does it take for us to all become mermen and mermaids?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Naruto had never been one to beat around the bush and apparently, that wasn't going to change now. Still he was grateful to his bubbly friend. He had asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Well your physicals all came back good. So we can begin the injections now. It varies a bit, but most make the transition within 2-6 weeks." A busty blonde woman by the name of Tsunade says.

The younger Uchiha Brother couldn't help but wonder, how Jirayia ever got any actual work done. He was always staring at the woman's large bosom. Not that Sasuke could entirely blame him.

It was a very large bosom. Truthfully, it was hard not to stare. Sasuke didn't really get the appeal though. He'd never really been in a serious relationship before, but he knew what he liked and what he didn't.

"That's not bad, but where are we going to stay while we are still adjusting?" Neji asks.

Neji had always been more practical than most of the others. That was a good question. If they were going to start sprouting fins and gills, they needed to be somewhere safe. Somewhere safe from the Traditionalists.

"We have rented out several hotels and made arrangements with the staff to help you with your transition. Don't worry, we paid good money for their discretion. You'll be safe there." Orochimaru says.

Orochimaru was one of the Big Three. There were three people who were really in charge of this program. Tsunade, Jirayia, and Orochimaru. Tsunade was a medical doctor, so it was no mystery what her role in the project was. Jirayia and Orochimaru were both scientists though. Jirayia was a zoologist and Orocohimaru was a biologist.

Sasuke couldn't lie. The dark haired man gave him the creeps. He didn't care for how he was being seized up as if he was a hunk of meat in front of a starving dog, but he digressed. Nothing was going to stop him from joining Itachi!

"Oh well that's good." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

"Yes, it's very good. They're very thorough." An elderly man says as he walks over with a younger man who Sasuke thought vaguely looked like him.

They had to be kidding. Was the old man part of the program? Nah. He had to be there to see his grandson off or something.

"We do try our best. Alright, well let's get started. First, you'll have to select what you want. There is some variety though Danzo, we're still giving you the Sea Slug. We want to give you something simple because you're older than most of our test subjects. A less complex organism might make it easier for your body to adjust to the transformation. As for everyone else, you can choose anything that has a green name tag on the vial." Jirayia explains.

"What do the red cards mean?" Sasuke asks.

"That's a good question. Red tags simply mean that we are out of genetic samples for that animal. Black tabs mean that we've haven't been able to acquire it before." Tsunade tells him.

Sasuke nods as he looks around. He saw a lot of the larger whales in black. Dolphins and a few breeds of shark were red. That was to be expected really. He supposed almost everyone wanted to be a shark or a dolphin.

"This looks pretty cool." Naruto says as he glances over at a vial with a green tag on it.

Sasuke could see the words _**Koi Fish**_ printed on it. There was a small picture on display as well. It was essentially a very large goldfish that came in multiple colors. Orange, white, and black as far as he could tell.

"You're such a chick." Sasuke mutters.

"Hey, bastard! This is totally cool! Isn't it, guys?!" Naruto asks indignantly.

"I think it's very pretty." Hinata adds and Naruto gives Sasuke a smug smile upon hearing that.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. That just proved his choice. Of course, Hinata would like it because it was such a chick choice. Whatever.

"It looks like they are out of dolphins, but I think I'll take porpoise!" Hanabi says happily.

"That's an excellent choice." Tsunade compliments her as Sasuke continues looking around for something.

He didn't know what he wanted. He wanted something unique. He saw that they were out of Great White Shark and Tiger Shark though. Those would have been some of his first choices. Hmm.

"I'll take the barracuda." Neji adds as he glances at another vile.

"A most interesting choice." Orochimaru comments the Hyuga Prodigy.

He could see that Hinata and the other boy were struggling. Well Hinata was struggling. His skinny doppelganger looked as if he didn't really care what he got. It was if he was waiting for someone else to decide for him.

"Hey, Hinata! You should take Angelfish!" Naruto suggests.

"Well it is really pp-retty. Hinata says with a shy smile.

"Good. It suits you then. Now, we just need the bastard to finally make up his mind." The blonde says cheerfully.

Sasuke rolls his eyes in response. This wasn't a decision that should be made lightly. He was going to have this creature's DNA in him for the rest of his life. After he made his choice, there was no going back.

"Excuse me for not being an impulsive loser. Hmm. Fox Shark. Yeah. That sounds good." Sasuke says as he glances at the vial.

There were two pictures and several names listed under it. Thresher Shark and Fox Shark. There seemed to be almost a half a dozen other names. Apparently, people couldn't decide what to call it.

It was a large blue shark in its adult form. As a juvenile shark, it's tail was much bigger proportionally to the rest of its body than when it was fully grown. The tail almost looked like a sword.

"I'll take the Thresher Shark." Sasuke says, after thinking about it.

He assumed eventually the tail would be more proportional and if not, well he'd just use it like a sword. That was assuming that he ended up looking anything like the creature in that picture.

"Excellent. Oh and it seems like Sai has selected the Wobbegong." Jirayia observes happily.

"What's a Wobbegong?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"It's a shark that can camouflage itself." Sasuke says, suddenly grateful that he had taken a class in Marine Biology in high school.

It was an interesting choice to say the least. Sai wanted not to be noticed for some reason and he was hanging out with Danzo. Danzo who was one of of the wealthiest men in the world, but was choosing to become part Sea Slug?

To say the least, Sasuke was now sufficiently creeped out. Something was up. Something big was up.

"That looks like everything. Are you all ready to begin your transformations?" Tsunade asks and only to hear a series of affirmative responses.

Well it looked like they were really going to do this. After today, there would be no going back. He was going to be part shark.

Meanwhile Itachi, Kisame, Konan, and Pain were all in Sharingan and heading towards the castle. Thanks to Suigetsu, they didn't really have a choice. If they didn't go with him, he'd probably get killed.

"Yeah. We're so going to kick his tail for this later." Kisame mutters in annoyance.

"It must be a Great White Thing. You're all so reckless." Itachi teases him as he allows Kisame to lead him off.

"Hmm. Maybe. That's because we're the baddest things in the ocean." The Akatsuki retorts and Itachi could only snort in amusement.

That was Kisame for you. He was endlessly cocky, but in an endearing way. Itachi was almost certain that the other man would have been the same way with or without the Great White Shark DNA that was currently inside him though.

"This place is huge. How are we supposed to know which room has the King and Queen in it?" He asks.

That was actually a really good question. Itachi didn't have a clue. The castle was larger than some city blocks!

"Follow us! Yeah?!" Itachi hears familiar voice ask.

That's when Itachi blinks because suddenly, he notices that Sasori and Deidara were standing only a few dozen feet away from them. That and they appeared to be speaking with a guard.

The guard in question had orange hair and was rather large, even by merman standards. He was a Whale Shark Subtype with a gorgeous gray tail that had thousands of white spots on it. His eyes were also orange.

"Deidara, what are you doing here?" Kisame asks in surprise.

"Well we've been poking around here for a little while. Apparently, the King heard that I was pretty artistic and wants to see if I can design the nursery for his baby!" The eccentric blonde says happily.

Itachi really didn't know how to respond to that. Still it was certainly an easy way in and he wasn't going to argue. He might as well just go with the flow, he supposed. (Pun intended).

"His art fetish finally came in handy for something. We're going to meet the King and Queen." Sasori confirms.

The elder Uchiha brother nods in understanding. Well at least Deidara and Sasori had finally stopped dancing around each other. He was pretty sure that those were Mating Marks he could see on their neck.

That probably wasn't a good thing for him though. If Kisame saw them, he'd probably start pressing for them to become more official. Itachi just wasn't sure about the whole animalistic side of things and the bond sounded rather intense. His mind was still too human to fully accept something like that.

"Great! So we'll just tag along with you guys!" The violet eyed merman says.

He adored Kisame and the sexual attraction was certainly there. He just wasn't sure how he felt with sharing his head with anyone else. Though if he was going to do it, the older Great White Shark would be the one that Itachi would be most willing to Mate with. Of that much, the Uchiha was certain.

At the very least, Sasori and Deidara seemed happy. Oh the red head might taunt the blonde, but there was real love in their eyes. It seemed that animal DNA didn't stop a person from being able to love. Frankly, learning that had been a huge relief to Itachi.

"Alright. I don't see why not." Sasori says as he kisses the Octopus's Subtype's cheek.

"Yeah! This will be fun! Let's go meet the King and Queen! Wee!" Deidara says as he races off into the castle, after the guard opens the door.

"Is he always that energetic? I'm Jugo by the way." The Whale Shark introduces himself.

Itachi nods his head to confirm that Deidara was well Deidara. He had never known the merman to sit still. He was pretty sure that was just the way the other man was wired, even before he became a merman.

"Yes, he is. I'm Itachi. The blue skinned one is Kisame. The female Jellyfish is Konan and her Mate, is Pain." He explains.

"Well it's nice to meet all of you. We had better move our fins, if we want to catch up to your friend though." The guard says and with that, he swims off after the eccentric blonde.

"This is going to be fun!" Suigetsu says with a smirk as he follows Jugo.

It didn't take the others long to do likewise. A few moments later, they ended up in a beautiful throne room.

The walls were made of some sort of blue material. Marble or stone, he supposed. The ground was made out of blue glass. Lining the place were golden statues of Clownfishes and Seahorses. It was no mystery what Subtypes the King and Queen were, Itachi decides.

It was eerie, but convenient how the room was lit. In the mouths of the statues were tiny cases of glass that had fire inside them. The glass prevented the ocean's waters from putting out the fire.

"Welcome. I see that you have brought some friends." A voice calls out.

There were two people sitting upon golden thrones. A man with dark hair and red eyes with an orange clownfish tail and a mermaid. The mermaid had chocolate brown eyes, brown hair, and a Seahorse's tail.

Her throne was different than the King's. Upon it were what seemed like dozens of red velvet cushions and there was a bundle in her arms. A bundle that occasionally cooed. A baby.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I hope that doesn't displease you. I am Sasori, Deidara's Mate. That's Kisame, Itachi, Suigetsu, and you've met the Jellyfish." Sasori says.

Ah so this was Sasori's first time meeting the King and Queen. Deidara must have wandered off one day and found them on his own. Interesting. That did seem like such a Deidara thing to do.

"That's not problem at all. This is our daughter. Isn't she beautiful?" Rin asks with a smile.

"She most certainly is." Itachi replies with a smile of his own as he looks at the newborn.

Perhaps, he had been overreacting. It was only natural that someone would try to step up and take control of this new world. The thought of a Monarchy left a sour taste in his mouth on principle, but their intentions might not be malevolent.

"It's nice to meet all of you. Fancy place you got here." Kisame says in his typical casual way.

"Yes, I built it for my Mate and our daughter. We are always looking for new mermen and mermaids to join our ranks. Most of our kind are still nomadic, but eventually civilization will take root. I believe that building Sharingan at such an early stage will yield an enormous advantage for our people over time." Obito explains.

Itachi couldn't exactly disagree with the logic of that. Still that didn't necessarily mean that the King and Queen were good or evil. He suspected like most other things in life, it wasn't a black or white thing. This new world was an infinite ocean of grays.

"And what a marvelous Kingdom you have built for them both." Pain says.

"Thank you. It gladdens our heart to hear you say such kind words." Rin says with a smile as she tickles her daughter's belly.

The woman was weak. Itachi could see it and he had a sneaking suspicion he knew why. She was a Seahorse Type, but it was the males who carried the babies in that species. How she had managed to give birth, he could only guess. It had likely almost cost the woman her life though.

"If you would like to become citizens we would of course add you to the Register and have you tested to determine your type. Nurturer or Protector. Your Type will not bar you from becoming a citizen, whatever your result. It's just good to know for our records." Obito explains.

Well Itachi was curious about his type. He wasn't entirely certain that he wanted to be a citizen. The city was definitely beautiful, but he knew nothing else about it.

"Would it be possible to get tested for our types and determine, if we wish to join later? It's a beautiful city, but I would like to explore it first before making such an important decision." He asks softly.

"Of course. It's always wise to look before you swim." Obito says.

Back on land, Hiashi Hyuga was furious. He had gone upstairs to inform his daughters that breakfast was ready and the Hyuga Patriarch hadn't been able to find either of them. The only thing that the lavender eyed man discovered was a note written in Hinata's handwriting.

 _ **Dear Father,**_

 _ **I'm sorry about this. I'm more sorry than you will ever know, but I can't do this. I can't be a Traditionalist. Our way of life is dying. The politicians have been able to stall for time though.**_

 _ **At most, we have twenty years before society completely collapses. That's if we don't do something. There is another way though.**_

 _ **That's why I have decided to take the injections. Hanabi and Neji have as well. By the time that you read this, we will already be gone.**_

 _ **The three of us will have already taken our first injection. Once you take it, there is no going back. I'm sorry that it had to be this way.**_

 _ **I will always love you and I hope that one day, you'll be able to put your hatred and fear of change aside. Truly, I would like nothing more than for you to join us under the Sea. It is your choice though.**_

 _ **Mother wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you to be whipping up a frenzy of hatred and fear. It's not to late to turn back though.**_

 _ **Whatever you decide, please know that we all love you. We always will. Neji, Hanabi, and I just don't agree with this path that you're on.**_

 _ **Don't worry about us. We're leaving with Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke has an older brother who was in the Third Generation. He'll help us learn how to be mermaids and mermen. We'll be safe.**_

 _ **Love always, Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji.**_

"I can't believe this. My own family has betrayed me. Damn them! Damn them!" He snarls as he rips the note up into a thousand tiny pieces.

Hiashi Hyuga would make those scientists pay for this. He wasn't entirely sure how he would do that yet, but he would think of something. He would burn those labs to the ground, if he had to.

Unfortunately, he knew that was easier said than done. Those labs were under the protection of the government. He was going to raise an army.

Back in Sharingan, Obito and his wife were showing the others around. Currently, they were inside what Kisame assumed was a medical lab of some sort. So this is where they would be tested, he thinks to himself.

"So um how exactly are we tested? Is it painful?" Suigetsu asks.

"No. It's not painful. All we need is for you to touch one of the Kasai Crystals and the crystal will change in color. If your white crystal turns red, you're a Protector. If it turns blue, you're a Nurturer." Rin explains.

"Interesting. Do we know how this works?" Konan asks curiously.

Itachi had been wondering that himself in all honestly. Still he decides that it was worth a try. It didn't seem likely that this was all a trap to kill them. If the King and Queen wanted them dead, it would have been easier just to sick the guards on them.

"Something about the crystal responding to your body's natural chemicals. I guess Protectors and Nurturers have slightly different body chemistries. I'm a Protector and my Mate is a Nurturer." Obito continues.

"Alright. Well I guess I'll go first then!" Suigetsu says as he races over and touches one of the crystals.

Suigetsu's crystal turns red. He was a Protector, but he wasn't the only one. Sasori, Konan, and Kisame were also Protectors. Surprisingly, Pain and Jugo were Nurturers.

"Well I suppose that it's my turn now." Itachi says with a smile as he swims over to one of the crystals.

There was something about the moment that struck Kisame as almost sacred. He couldn't really articulate it. Just something about his beautiful merman touching the pristine white crystal that sent goosebumps down the length of his tail.

"It's blue. I guess that means I'm a Nurturer. It seems that you were right, after all." Itachi tells him with a serene smile.

Damn right, he was right. Kisame knew his Itachi. He would have been fine with the other man being another Protector, though such relationships were rare.

In general, Protectors were attracted to Nurturers and vice versa. Occasionally, you would see a Mated Pair that consisted of two Nurturers or two Protectors though. It just didn't happen too often.

"Of course, I was." He says smugly.

Kisame supposed that it was just nature's way of balancing things out, really. That was just another reason why as far as he was concerned, he and Itachi were made for each other. Now, if only he could get the pretty little dolphin to get over his Mating Shyness.

"Mmm your modesty is truly one of your most attractive traits." Itachi teases him.

"Yes, I know." Kisame says with a grin.

"It's always nice to see new Mates." Obito states with a smile.

Damn. The King just had to go and ruin the mood there. Now, Itachi would be reminded that Kisame wanted to be Mates and he'd probably pull away from him.

Oh Kisame understood why the Uchiha was a bit skittish about it. It was an intense thing. Sharing your feelings with someone so intimately wasn't something to be taken lightly, but he knew that Itachi was the one for him and that was that.

"We aren't Mates." Itachi says with a blush.

"At least not yet. Itachi's a Third Generation. He's still adjusting to everything." Kisame says as he kisses his future Mate's cheek.

Itachi nods and shoots the other man a grateful look. Kisame wasn't really sure how, but somehow everything would turn out the way that it would supposed to. Just as long as he had the handsome dolphin by his side.

"Oh well…I assume that you're still in the courtship stage." Obito says awkwardly.

"Yes, you could say that." Itachi offers kindly as he leans back against the Akatsuki and smiles when the larger merman wraps his arms around him protectively.

"Well if you do decide to Mate, you have our congratulations. It's a beautiful thing to share such a bond with someone. I know that it has brought us immense happiness." Rin assures with a cheerful smile of her own.

That's when the baby coos and Kisame smiles. He'd never really thought too much about having kids before, but he could with Itachi. Itachi's kid would definitely be adorable. Just like him.

"And us as well. Deidara may be half insane, but I do love him." Sasori says.

"Sasori! You're such a romantic! I knew you were a big teddy bear underneath it all. Yeah?!" Deidara exclaims.

Oh boy. Kisame sighs and shakes his head. Those two would be fighting like cats and dogs any minute now. Oh well. This was just further proof that there was never a dull moment under the Sea.


	8. Chapter 8

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. For your convenience, I've composed lists of everyone's Inner Nature Type that has been tested so far. Don't worry. The Fourth Generation will be tested and included in other lists as the story goes on.

 **Protectors:** Kisame, Suigetsu, Sasori, Konan, and Obito.

 **Nurturers:** Itachi, Deidara, Pain, Rin, and Jugo.

Chapter 8

"Damn. Slow down there, Beautiful." Kisame says as he follows Itachi towards the surface.

They had been alternating between living in Sharingan and their cave for a month. Whenever city life got to be too much for the wild Akatsuki, they'd head back to the cave. Still Itachi liked have option of staying in the luxurious castle or their cozy (and more private) cave.

"I can't! Today is the day! Sasuke is going to be released into the wild with his friends! I want to be there to greet him. We have to hurry." Itachi replies.

Thankfully, Kisame was a fast swimmer. Then again, that probably had a lot to do with his Subtype. Great Whites wouldn't be very good apex predators, fi they were too slow to catch their dinner.

"Wait up! Yeah?!" Deidara calls out as he and Sasori frantically follow after the dolphin and Great White Shark mermen.

Surprisingly or perhaps not surprisingly, Itachi could already see Suigetsu's tail off in the distance. He was heading towards the surface in record time. Kisame hadn't been kidding about the Guppy Love thing.

"I just hope my foolish little brother isn't too intimidated by those teeth of his." He mutters under his breath.

He supposed that they were going to find out soon enough though. All of them, Itachi thinks to himself as he glances back over his shoulder. Konan and Pain were bringing up the rear.

They were rational enough that they knew Sasuke and his friends would still be there, if they didn't push themselves too fast. After all, Jellyfish were often more content just to swim around in their pod than to race each other. It was only natural.

"I found them!" Suigetsu calls out a few minutes later, when everyone had caught up to him.

He could see them. They were all only a few feet away from the shore. That was to be expected though. They were all new to the ocean.

They were a rather diverse looking group. A Koi Fish, Angelfish, porpoise, barracuda, Wobbegong, Sea Slug, and a Thresher Shark. The two that stood out most though were the Sea Slug and the Thresher.

"Oh good. They're here." Itachi says as he swims up next to Suigetsu and sighs in relief.

The Sea Slug stood out for all the reasons. He was old. The guy was probably at least fifty, though Suigetsu got the impression much older than he looked. The lower half of body was an dull gray color that had white almost porcupine like quills coming out of it with red tips on them. It looked like a bunch of matches had been taped onto him.

The Thresher Shark was a completely different story. Now, he knew why they were nicknamed Fox Sharks. That was one foxy little shark. Oh yeah. That was definitely Itachi's baby brother.

"Sasuke! It's so good to see you again!" Itachi says as he swims over to him and the brother's embrace.

Sasuke as Itachi called Sir Foxiness hugs back, but in a rather gingerly fashion. It was obvious that the younger Uchiha wasn't entirely certain what to do with his fins.

The Thresher Shark's fins were shaped like the tip of a sword. His fins were also very long proportionally when compared with the rest of his tail and other species. Oh and what a lovely tail it was. It was an adorable silvery blue color that was driving Suigetsu kinda crazy.

"Itachi! Watch it! I don't know if this tail actually cuts things or not!" Sasuke warns him.

"Yeah. You might want to be careful. That thing looks kinda lethal." Naruto points out cheerfully.

"I'm Hinata. This is Naruto, Sasuke, Hanabi, and Neji. Hanabi is m-my younger sister and Neji is my cousin. The others are Sai and Danzo." The blue haired Angel Fish says, pointing at everyone as she introduces them.

If Suigetsu was into mermaids, he would have thought she was cute. Long blue hair, lavender eyes, and a mostly blue tail that had traces of bright yellow and mysterious black. He preferred mermen though. Thank you, very much.

That and it looked like Naruto might have a thing for her. Hopefully, Sasuke's eyes would follow him like Blondie's were following the mermaid. Not only that, but Suigetsu was also hoping that Sasuke turned out to be a Nurturer Type. That would make them even more compatible!

"Alright. Well are Danzo and Sai staying with your group or are they planning on heading out on their own?" Sasori asks reasonably.

Deidara apparently wasn't feeling very reasonable though. He was examining the youngest mermaid rather up close and personal. To be fair, Suigetsu doubted that he had ever seen a Porpoise Subtype before and that was probably why the bubbly blonde was so curious about Hanabi.

"You're so cute! A baby dolphin! Yeah?!" The blonde asks excitedly.

"Forgive my Mate. He tends to speak before he thinks." Sasori says with a sigh.

"You be nice!" Deidara grumbles and the red head shakes his head in response as he slides his hand over the Octopus's tail apologetically.

Yeah. Those two were weird sometimes. Oh well. He had more important things to worry about. Like how to win over the foxy.

"Oh I think that we'll stick with you, if that's alright. It's safer to travel in a group, I should think." Danzo replies.

Kisame places his arm around Itachi at that. He didn't know why, but he got a bad feeling off this guy. Maybe, he was just being overprotective though. The man had one fin in the ground. He was no threat.

"Everything alright, Kisame?" Itachi asks in confusion.

"Yes, everything's fine. Well let's go back to my cave for now. The cave system is big enough for everyone and we really should ask the King and Queen for permission before bringing this many newbies in." The Akatsuki points out.

"King and Queen?" Neji asks in confusion.

Right. The kids had a lot to learn. That was only natural though. They were all fresh out of the lab.

Oh well. He didn't mind showing them the currents. Showing someone the currents was the merman version of showing someone the ropes. After all, these were Sasuke's friends. Sasuke was Itachi's brother. Which meant that he would help them out because it would make Itachi happy.

"Obito built himself a city for our people. He calls himself a King. He's Mated to a mermaid named Rin. So they're the King and Queen of Sharingan. As far as we know, it's the only underwater city that actually has people living in. We've got guest rooms at the castle, but sometimes stay at my cave. It's more private there." The Akatsuki explains.

"An underwater city does sound beautiful." Hinata says with a smile.

Ah women. It didn't matter whether they had fins or legs. They did love their fairytales. Not that he could entirely blame the girl. An underwater castle was a pretty awesome thing to witness.

"It's very beautiful." Konan says in agreement.

"Though we still aren't entirely sure about what the King's intentions truly are. He has a daughter now though. A baby. So I think that should keep him from doing anything too drastic for awhile." Pain adds.

That was true. Kisame couldn't imagine someone causing too much trouble, if they had a newborn to consider. Well not if they were a decent parent anyway and it was obvious that Obito did adore his family. He could relate.

It would be nice to have some mini dolphins and great whites running around. Now that he thought about it, they might make some white dolphins or some silvery great white hybrids. That would be pretty cool.

"Well I'm sure that your caves are still quite comfortable." Sai says with a creepy smile.

That smile was too fake. Something was seriously wrong with these two. Still he supposed that it was better to keep them close than to wonder where they slithered off too. There was no way that Kisame was going to let these freaks mess with _**his**_ Itachi.

"Oh yes. It's very comfortable!" Kisame retorts.

As if he would have his future Mate in place that wasn't comfortable, ha! What kind of amateur did the other man take him for? Only the best for his cute little dolphin.

"Yes, it is quite nice." Pain agrees.

"Alright. Let's head back then. I'm sure that the Fourth Generationers are all tired from their transformations." Itachi says.

Kisame nods in agreement and he leads everyone off to his cave. It took awhile to get everyone situated. The newbies were all sticking together with the exception of Danzo and Sai. Danzo and Sai had found their own section of the cave to scheme in.

Well at least that was the Akatsuki's opinion on the matter. Those two were part of the group and yet, they weren't. Considering that it was only the first night and they were already separating themselves like that, Kisame figured that was a bad sign.

"You look worried." Itachi says as he caresses Kisame's cheek.

"I am. Maybe, we should just tell the Sea Slug and Creepy Shark to go their own way." He mutters.

Itachi shakes his head and Kisame sighs. He knew what the other merman was going to do. He was going to try to reason with him.

"Kisame, they're both new to this world. They clearly knew each other before they came here. Sasuke is doing the same thing. He's sticking with the people that he knows the best. It's only natural to seek out familiar when you are facing the unknown. Don't you think that you're being a little too hard on them, My Love?" He asks.

Damn. He had to go and call him that. He had to do that sexy little cultured pet name for him. Itachi had to know that was fighting pretty damn dirty.

He was Protector. It was in his nature to respond to compliments like that from his Nurturer. He was going to respond.

"We'll let them stay for now, but I really don't get a good feeling off of them." He grumbles.

"Mmm thank you, for giving them a chance." Itachi says as he kisses his cheek.

"Speaking of giving people a chance, when are you going to let me Mark you?" He retorts.

He was being a good merman and letting those creeps stay. Maybe, Itachi would take that into account when he asked him that question now.

"I'm thinking about it. I'm much more comfortable in this world now than I was before. I love you, Kisame. I really do, but do you think that you could handle sharing that much of yourself with someone? We'll feel each other's feelings and that can be both a blessing and a curse." The raven haired merman points out.

"I know that I can handle it. I can handle anything, if it means being closer to you." He retorts smugly and Itachi gives him a small smile in response.

That small smile said it all. He knew that eventually Itachi would see things his way. It was just natural for Nurturers to be more cautious about Mating than Protectors for the most part. Itachi just needed some time was all.

Meanwhile back on land, Hiashi had gathered up a large group of Traditionalists. He estimated they numbered at least eight hundred strong. It was only the beginning though.

Soon enough, he imagined that they would have millions of people with similar ideals fighting along side them. These scientists had brainwashed three members of his own family and Hiashi wasn't going to allow them to kidnap anyone else and force them to participate in their sick little experiments.

"Today is an important day. It marks the day when humanity struck back. These hybrids are not natural. Genetic engineering was never intended to change our species. Such meddling is an offense to nature and dangerous." The lavender eyed man says.

Almost immediately upon saying those words, a large cheer rings up from the crowd. Hiashi Hyuga smirks in response. Yes, things were finally going according to plan.

"That's right!" Someone calls out from the crowd and the Hyuga Patriarch nods approvingly.

"We are going to attack one of the labs where they conduct these vile experiments. Some of us will likely get arrested. There may even be some of us who die for our cause, but this is humanity's last stand. We are people. Not fish." He states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

There were roars of agreement and Hiashi scans the crowd. It was a large crowd and almost everyone was armed to some extent. At the very least, they should be able to destroy the this lab or at least the genetic samples they would use to turn more people into these creatures.

He couldn't believe that his own daughters and nephew were involved in this madness now. Unfortunately, it was likely too late to save them. Hinata was right. Once you took that first injection, there wasn't any going back.

"TO THE LAB!" He bellows out and his followers march off for battle.

He knew that it was a bit dramatic, but Hiashi liked it that way. It reminded him of the battles of the ancient world. In a way, it was fitting. Hinata much like Helen of Troy had just launched a thousand "ships."

There were no lovers fighting over his daughter, but clearly this had been her idea. She must have convinced Hanabi and Neji to follow her. He suspected that the Uzumaki and Uchiha boys had something to do with his family's descent into insanity, but it was too late to do much about that now.

"All I can do is make sure that no one else is tricked or loses a loved one to these twisted experiments." He seethes to himself.

He was prepared to die if necessary for that goal. This had gone on long enough. He couldn't believe such blasphemy had ever been sanctioned in the first place.

This was the beginning of the end. Never again would another man, woman, or child be treated as a human guinea pig. No more fathers would lose their daughters. He would make sure of it.

Back in Sharingan, Rin smiles down at the crib. Her daughter was sleeping soundly in it. There had been many days where she sincerely thought that she would never live long enough to see her or that Akemi would ever be born.

"Akemi is a beautiful name." Her Mate says as he sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Thank you. I thought that it was rather befitting of a princess." She giggles.

Obito had never given up on her though. Not even when she had considered giving up on herself. That was just the kind of dedicated Mate that she had. She was really lucky that way.

"You're welcome. So what do you think of the strangers?" He asks her gently.

"Mmm. I find Deidara and his Mate amusing. Konan and Pain are highly intelligent. Itachi and Kisame compliment each other well. Brains and brawn. I think that they could be useful in helping Sharingan to become a symbol in what this new world could become." She answers him.

"Yes, I think so as well." Obito agrees as he kisses her cheek and smiles down at their daughter.

Rin couldn't lie though. She did have concerns. She knew enough about the situation above the water to realize that things were going from bad to worse. Soon enough, there would be far more than a few hundred or even thousand mermaids and mermen being released every year into the ocean.

There would be millions and eventually, potentially billions. That was one of the reasons why it was so important to install some semblance of order before that happened. One couldn't just have billions of people swimming around in the ocean with no society. That was just flirting with disaster.

"It's late, My Heart. Let's go to bed." Rin says as she leans into his embrace.

She was still weak from delivering Akemi, even if it hadn't been a natural birth. Truthfully though, Rin was getting stronger by the day. She would live to see her daughter grow up and do her best to be a good Queen for her people and her Mate.

"Yes, lets." The King of Sharingan says as he leads his beautiful Mate off to their bedchambers for the night.

Back in Kisame's Cave, Itachi was curled up against the Akatsuki as he watched Suigetsu approach his brother's group of friends like a hawk. The other merman seemed more playful than anything, but that didn't mean that Itachi was going to let him off the hook that easily. After all, what kind of big brother would Itachi be…if he didn't at least traumatize Sasuke's potential suitors?

"Do you really need to glare at the kid? He's just going over to talk to him. It's not like he's gonna jump him with all his friends surrounding him." Kisame asks with a chuckle.

"I'm Sasuke's big brother. That means it's my job to ensure that anyone who wants to date him is worthy of him. If I can scare them off, they aren't worth his time." The elder Uchiha says as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Before he could offer more reasons why this was clearly a necessary evil, Kisame kissed him. That's when Itachi's brain shifted gears. It was hard to focus on anything else when he was being barraged by the wonderful sensations that Kisame's kiss always evoked.

He would deal with Suigetsu later. Right now, he'd just focus on his beautifully wild boyfriend. Besides, they weren't that far away. If Suigetsu tried anything, Itachi would hear him.

"Hey, so how you guys settling in?" The violet eyed merman asks.

"Pretty good! This place is really cool!" Naruto says brightly.

"Honestly, I'm still a little worried about what will happen on land. Now that we're gone, my uncle has even more of a reason to hate our kind." Neji says with a sigh.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He would be lying, if he said that he wasn't worried. Hiashi was now more or less the leader of the Traditionalists. If things took a turn for the worst, it was probably because of the Hyuga Patrairch.

"I did leave father a note. I hope that he t-takes it to heart." Hinata stammers.

Sasuke didn't miss the way that Naruto pats her on the shoulder comfortingly. Maybe now, they'd finally stop dancing around each other. It would be about time too!

The Uchiha was fairly certain that Hinata had been crushing on the blonde since she was five and Naruto hadn't shut up about Hinata since their freshmen year of high school. It certainly took them long enough to realize what was obvious to everyone else. That they were sickeningly perfect for each other.

"I hope so as well, but I wouldn't count on it." Hanabi says with a sigh.

"Well I don't really know who their dad was, but you guys are definitely safe down here. Are you hungry? Kisame's gotten a lot better at catching lobster. You like lobster, right? Foxy?" Suigetsu asks.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It was obvious who he was calling Foxy. He was a Fox Shark. The younger Uchiha might have pawned it off to a playful nickname, if it wasn't for the way that those violet eyes were staring at him with undisguised interest.

"You're kidding, right?! Who doesn't love lobster?!" Naruto exclaims happily.

"Yeah. Lobster sounds good. How do you cook it down here though?" Sasuke asks.

"Well you can add seasonings and stuff. We don't really cook things down here. Well you could, if you found a thermal vent, I suppose. Your body can now process raw meat as easily as it can cooked meat. All thanks to the genetic engineering that you went through during the transformation process." The Great White says.

Sasuke tilts his head as he considers that. Well that was good to know. He wasn't really sure how raw lobster would taste, but he supposed that he would find out.

"Alright. Well I guess there's a first time for everything. I like sushi, so lobster shouldn't be that different." He mutters.

"That's the spirit, Foxy. Stick with me and you won't have to worry about anything. I'll take very good care of you." He says cheerfully as he leads the younger Uchiha off with his hand on the back of Sasuke's tail.

 _ **Smack!**_ That was the sound that was heard throughout the cave, when Sasuke feels the other merman's hand on his ass. A rather loud smack.

"You damn pervert. Get your hand off of my ass. Well the place where my ass used to be, anyway! I'll get my own damn lobster." He growls as he swims over to Itachi.

Sasuke's fury interrupts Itachi's time with Kisame. Though the elder Uchiha wasn't sure whether to be amused or angry. He looks at Kisame uncertainly.

"Suigetsu, I get it. I know how exciting it can be to find yourself a hot little Nurturer and everything, but you have to be more patient. Do you think that I got Itachi to share my kelp bed with me overnight?" Kisame asks with a chuckle.

"Owe! Damn. You've got one Hell of a left hook, Foxy. Alright. Alright. I guess I shouldn't have done that, but can you really blame me? You've got one Hell of a fine tail and your sword fin just looks so cute." The white haired merman says in his defense.

"Wow. I can't believe that guy just grabbed Sasuke like that." Naruto says with a grin.

Itachi had to second that motion. How Suigetsu even knew that Sasuke was open to the possibility of being with a merman instead of a mermaid was beyond him. Maybe, it was just some kind of instinct that a Protector had that Nurturers didn't.

"Me neither. He's a dead man." Neji agrees.

"And what the Hell is this Nurturer garbage?!" Sasuke demands in outrage and Suigetsu gulps.

Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Honestly, he wasn't sure what Sasuke was. Though he had a pretty good feeling that he knew how his brother would react to the idea of being called Nurturer, once he understood what that meant. Badly.

"Sasuke, it's a long story. Suigetsu, apologize for your inappropriate behavior towards my brother or you will regret not doing so." Itachi warns him.

"Alright. Alright. I'm sorry. I guess I came on a little strong. I'm a Beta Generation. Second Generation so my animistic instincts are pretty strong sometimes." He says.

Sasuke crosses his arms and gives Suigetsu a dirty look. After pausing for a moment, he sighs and nods his head. Well it looked like Sasuke wasn't going to murder Suigetsu today, after all.

"Alright. Next time you try something like that again without my permission and I'm turning you into sushi. I don't care if you're a Great White Shark and I'm a Thresher Shark. I will do it." Sasuke warns him.

"God, you're hot when you get all homicidal." Suigetsu says.

"Unbelievable." Sasuke grumbles as he looks at Itachi helplessly.

Itachi could only chuckle in response. He had a similar reaction to Kisame's advances at first. At this point, he was just forced to conclude that Great White Sharks weren't natural flirts. Like Kisame said, they were apex predators and tended to take what they wanted.

Thankfully though, Kisame and Suigetsu did know where to draw the line. Well after being slapped around a bit, at least. So Itachi was sure that his foolish little brother would eventually train Sugietsu how to be a good boyfriend and then Suigetsu would get slapped much less often.

"They are kinda cute together, but I think that we should set a good example. Kisame, I want to be your Mate. The next time we're alone together, you can Mark me." Itachi whispers into his boyfriend's ear.

Seeing Suigetsu and Sasuke together, had reminded him how lucky he was. He had a handsome Great White Shark who was willing to do anything for him. Most people didn't get that.

Kisame would be a good Mate and Itachi supposed that he had always known that. Deep down, the Uchiha had always known that. He had just needed to get over his cold fins first and now he had. Now, he was finally ready to take that next step.


	9. Chapter 9

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Pleaselet me know how exotic you want the Honeymoon. Do you want them to spend it in their human forms, pure merman forms, or somewhere between those extremes? (There is the possibility that I could make them able to transform back into human forms for brief periods of time available). **Majority will rule.**

Chapter 9

A few days later and Itachi was showing Sasuke around the castle. It seemed as though some informal races had sprung up outside and his friends wanted to watch. Sasuke was more interested in exploring the castle though.

That was just fine with Itachi. It gave them some chance to reconnect in private. At the moment, Kisame was assisting with some construction efforts and he could only assume that Suigetsu was either with him or racing.

"It's amazing. They built this entire place in only a few years." Sasuke says in awe.

"I had a similar reaction. They aren't quite done with it yet, but they have enough of it built that one does get the general idea." The elder Uchiha says.

It was truly a beautiful city. There were starting to be more luxuries cropping up inside it and even the beginnings of a market. Truth be told though, Itachi still adored his cozy cave with Kisame.

He supposed that it was mostly because of the extra privacy and well it just felt more like home. Coming to Sharingan was more like renting a fancy hotel room for a weekend getaway than anything. Sure it was fun, but that didn't meant hat one wanted to actually live there.

"So what did Suigetsu mean about that Nurturer garbage anyway?" Sasuke asks.

"Sasuke, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He wasn't insulting you. I think it's rather obvious that he's completely besotted by you. He wouldn't hurl insults in your direction." The Dolphin Type tries to reassure him.

"I wasn't saying that it was an insult. I want to know what it meant and he's not besotted with me. He's just a pervert who likes to try to grab my tail. Kisame is the one who is smitten with you. I'm still not really sure how that works though. I mean, how do you two kiss without him shredding your face off?" Sasuke asks curiously.

Itachi chuckles. His brother had never been a particularly subtle person when he was curious about something. That was part of what made him so amusing.

"Do you really want to know the details about our sex life? Well I must say that is certainly surprising. I am flattered that you would seek out my advice. It's only natural to be curious about such things, Sasuke. This is especially so at your age. Perhaps you've decided to give Suigetsu a chance, after all? I'm certain that he will be absolutely delighted to hear that." Itachi replies as he tries desperately to hide his smirk.

He wasn't entirely certain that he had managed it, but well he tried. It was just so much fun to tease Sasuke. He made it ridiculously easy sometimes.

"What?! No! No! I don't want details about your love life! Itachi, that's sick! I was just asking about kissing and I'm really not interested in that pervert! Anyway, I'm happy for you. I mean he looks a little alien, but I guess he's attractive an unconventional way and he really does seem to worship the water that you swim in." The other Uchiha says in a rush.

"Sasuke, you're adorable when you babble. Truly. Anyway, there are two main kinds of mermaids and merman. There are different classifications for our kind. You can break down the new species based on generation and/or their Inner Nature." Itachi begins cautiously.

He knew that it was unlikely Sasuke was going to react well to this news. Then again, he hadn't been tested yet. There was about a fifty percent chance that his foolish little brother was a Protector, anyway.

"Uh huh. Well I get the Generation Breakdown. What about this Inner Nature thing?" The raven haired merman demands.

"There are Protectors and Nurturers. The roles have nothing to do with gender. Protectors are just more aggressive and very protective of their mates and offspring. They're more likely to be hunters than gatherers. Nurturers are more focused on making their Mate and children happy. They aren't as aggressive usually and prefer to gather over hunting in most cases." The Dolphin Subtype explains.

"And you're sure that it has nothing to do with gender?" Sasuke asks skeptically.

"Yes, Sasuke. I'm sure. I'm a Nurturer and I assure you that I am very male. It has to do with temperament. In general, Protectors are attracted to Nurturers and vice versa. Though I'm told that occasionally two Protectors and two Nurturers do pair off. Like Kisame, Suigetsu is a Protector." The other merman explains.

Predictably, Sasuke twitches. It was obvious that he didn't care for the implications that being Nurturer brought to the table. Oh boy.

"Where did that idiot say he was going again? I think that he needs smacked around a few more times. That or whipped. I finally figured out how to use my tail. It looks like a sword, but it functions like a whip." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Sasuke, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Nurturer. You're overreacting. He most certainly didn't mean it as an insult and I'm not going to let you whip him over something like that." The elder Uchiha scolds him.

"I don't have to actually hit him. I just have to make him think that I'm going to hit him." The Fox Shark points out.

That was a fair point. Itachi didn't really know how to counter that. Oh well. He supposed he would let Sasuke have his fun for now.

"Very well. I'm going to be busy with Kisame for the next few days. I promised him that I would let him Mark me. We're essentially getting married and this will be our Honeymoon of sorts." Itachi informs him.

"You're getting married?! That's great! I'll be your Best Man." Sasuke says smugly.

"Well there's no rule against having ceremonies down here, but this was more of an intimate ceremony. One that your innocent eyes shouldn't watch." Itachi teases him.

Sasuke blinks and Itachi chuckles. It was obvious that Sasuke had figured out what he meant by that. Thank goodness for little brothers. They were endlessly entertaining at times.

"Ohhh. Right. Well have fun. I'll try to keep the idiots away from your room so you can make things more _official_." Sasuke promises him.

"That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sasuke." Itachi says as he pokes his forehead.

"Owe! Stop doing that! I'm not five anymore." Sasuke grumbles as he swims off.

He might not be five anymore, but still acted like it at times. Oh well. It was time to find Kisame. He had a Mate to Claim. (Well more accurately, he had a Mate to be Claimed by).

Meanwhile things were getting worse on land or better, depending on who you asked. Hiashi smirks as he watches some of his followers set fire to another lab. That was the third one this week.

"There are so many of them though, Hiashi. How are we possibly going to destroy them all?" One of his soldiers asks.

"We don't have to destroy them all. We just have to make certain that the those in power know that this won't be tolerated. This mockery of nature won't be tolerated. Once they realize that we are willing to level any of these places to the ground, they'll yield." The lavender eyed man replies.

That was the way things were going to be. He wouldn't allow this. The Traditionalists were going to stop it. The Survivalists could go to Hell.

"Hiashi! We've got company! We've got company!" Someone screams at the top of their lungs as several shots rang out.

Hiashi's eyes narrow as the poor man falls over dead. He had been shot in the back. There was only one group who would resort to such cowardly tactics. The Survivalists!

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!" The Hyuga Patriarch thunders at his people and with that, the two sides charged at each other.

It was a blur of flying punches, rocks being thrown, and shots being fired. Occasionally, Hiashi could hear the sounds of glass being shattered. Some people were using the broken glass as weapons.

Usually, they could destroy a lab without the Survivalists finding them. Unfortunately, today was not that day. Today, they had to fight and they would win.

"You're all fools! I can't believe that you actually believe turning people into fish is a good idea!" He bellows at his opponent.

"You're the fools! Do you not see what is happening?! Time is running out. We must adapt or die!" A middle aged man that Hiashi vaguely recognized as being Rasa Sabaku snarls at him.

The two had once been respected businessman. They had even cut a few deals with each other. That was no longer the case though.

Now, they were on opposing sides in a Civil War. A War that Hiashi was determined to win and he knew that Rasa felt the same way. He could almost respect the other man for sticking to his principles, if his principles weren't so horrific.

"Then I suppose we'll die! I'd rather die than become a monster just to survive!" Hiashi hisses as he withdraws his gun.

The sounds of bullets and screams could be heard everywhere. At that moment, Hiashi knew that there was a good chance that he might die that day. He was prepared to do so though.

The Hyuga Patriarch was more than willing to die, if it meant preserving humanity's humanity. Looking into Rasa's eyes, he knew the other man was also committed to his own cause.

"Only one of us is going to leave here today and I can assure you that it will be me." Hiashi says as he aims the gun at the other man.

"Funny. I was about to say the same to you. I heard that your daughters and nephew ran off to play with the other mermaids and mermen. That should tell you something, Hiashi." Rasa retorts as he draws his own gun.

Neither of them got the chance to use it though. That was when Hiashi hears sirens. Police Sirens. It was as if some kind of spell had suddenly been cast over the battlefield because everyone drops their weapons and tries to run.

Damn it. Hiashi takes that as his cue to leave. While he was certainly willing to die for his beliefs, he would rather not have to do so today!

Back in Sharingan, Kisame's Akatsuki Level Strength was certainly coming in handy with the construction efforts. He didn't mind lending a fin or two. It was nice to be useful and he had to burn off his anxious energy somehow.

"So Itachi really agreed to be your Mate?" Suigetsu asks.

"Yes, he did. Finally. I'm telling you that it takes forever to win over a Nurturer, but the results are definitely worth it. You just have to be more patient." He says.

"It didn't take me long to win over Deidara. Actually, he was the one that chased me." Sasori offers as he helps Kisame move some large stones that were going to be used to erect a large building.

Kisame resists the urge to grumble at that information. Sasori was a lucky son of a bitch. Deidara had chased him all over the place instead of the other way around. How often was it that a Nurturer latched onto a Protector like that?

Not very often. In short, the red head was extremely lucky. That didn't matter though. Kisame was going to Mate with his Itachi soon.

"How'd you get him to chase you?" Suigetsu asks.

"Well I saved him from getting crushed by a whale. I suppose that might have something to do with it. Though honestly, I think that he would have done it anyway. This is Deidara. He has never been one to do anything by the book. So why should Mating be any different?" The Sting Ray Subtype asks with a shrug.

Privately, Kisame concedes that was a good point. Deidara was anything, but predictable. That much was obvious.

Oh well. Itachi may have needed a lot more coaxing, but that wasn't a big deal. What he felt for the Dolphin Type was real and that was more than enough for him.

"Good point. So what do you guys think about this place?" Kisame asks.

"I'm not sure. It seems too good to be true really." Sasori admits.

Suigetsu shrugs. He loved the city life. He loved all the excitement of it, but he also appreciated the beauty of the wilderness. He'd be happy with either really.

Honestly, he'd never been happier. Being a merman was awesome and he was sure that his "big brother" felt the same way. That was especially true since Kisame had found Itachi.

"I think it is what it is. I don't think there's some deep dark secret about this place. It was bound to happen sooner or later. People weren't going to be content with just swimming around forever." The violet eyed merman offers.

Damn. What were they feeding Uchihas anyway? Were they all as gorgeous as Sasuke and Itachi? That was one fortunate looking family. He had to give them that much.

"Maybe, you're right. Hey, have you guys seen Sai and Danzo?" The Akatsuki member asks suddenly.

Hmm. Now that Kisame mentioned it, Suigetsu wasn't really sure where the Sea Slug and Creepy Shark went off to. That was weird.

"I haven't seen them in awhile." He admits.

"Nor have I." Sasori agrees with a frown, obviously also growing rather worried about that fact.

"Strange. Well I'm sure that they'll turn up. After all, Danzo is terrified of being on his own." Kisame says with a shrug.

Meanwhile at that precise moment, Danzo and Sai had snuck away to one of the empty rooms in the castle. They were in the middle of plotting something very important. An assassination.

"Are you certain that this is necessary?" Sai asks as his now ocean blue tail swishes about.

Danzo was used to Sai's tail changing colors. That was just part of what made him so valuable. The ability to camouflage yourself was always a most useful one.

So he wasn't in the least bit disturbed by the other merman's color changing tail. It was an everyday occurrence to him. It was no different than seeing someone wear a different shirt everyday on land to him at this point.

"It's necessary. I can't allow Obito to consolidate his power. I'm the one who should rule. I'm the one that has the most experience." Danzo says.

It was true. He had experience in business and politics. That and there were few subjects that he hadn't at least dabbled in. He was knowledgeable and he wasn't tenderhearted. Danzo knew what it took to lead and he was more than willing to do it.

"Well that's true. Obito is a lot younger than you and he does have a family to look after." Sai says thoughtfully.

The elderly man nods in agreement. Whatever worked. If playing on the fact that Obito had a family made Sai go along with his plans, he was more than willing to do that.

"And you aren't concerned about how the Queen and Princess will react to the loss of the King?" He inquires.

This was important. If Sai looked like he was going to feel guilty about this affair, Danzo would have to find a way to take him out of the picture. He was reluctant to do that for obvious reasons though.

Sai was his shield in this world. Danzo wasn't foolish. He knew that as an old merman, he was more vulnerable than a young one. That was why he had brought the Shark Subtype along with him. For protection.

"I'm not completely heartless. I would feel bad for them, but this is for the good of the entire city. The happiness of two individuals, shouldn't outweigh the needs of thousands." Sai answers him cheerfully.

Good. Good. The other merman seemed to understand why this had to happen. It looked like fortune was finally smiling down on Danzo. With Sai's help, the Sea Slug was confident that he would soon be the Sharingan King!

A short while later, Kisame goes and finds Itachi. He smiles when he found the elder Uchiha still giving his brother a tour. That was sweet. Now, that was one close family.

"Hey, Brat. Do you mind, if I borrow that sexy brother of yours for awhile?" He asks with a fang-tastic smile.

Kisame knew that was fighting dirty. Sasuke was obviously still a bit freaked out by his teeth, but whatever. The Akatsuki was a firm believe in doing whatever worked and this most definitely did.

"Well sure. Go ahead. Unfortunately, I only have one brother and that's Itachi. I'm not sure he qualifies as sexy." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Don't be foolish. I believe that everyone knows that I am rather fortunate looking. It's the Uchiha Curse of Good Looks." Itachi says sagely as he pokes Sasuke's forehead and heads off with Kisame.

Kisame chuckles as he looks back at a very angry Fox Shark. Sasuke apparently possessed a rather colorful vocabulary when he was annoyed. Good to know. He should probably warn Suigetsu about that.

"Oh yes. It must be such a curse to have good looks." Kisame says with a smirk as he swims towards the room that he shared with Itachi.

"Mmm. It can be at times. Though it's become markedly less so, now that we're together. Few people are foolish enough to hit on the boyfriend of a Great White Shark." Itachi observes with amusement.

Kisame couldn't argue with that. He probably would have torn the head off of any merman or even mermaid that dared to look at his Itachi. He knew that it was wrong, but he also knew that he probably would.

It wasn't entirely his fault though. He was an Akatsuki. His animalistic instincts were powerful and so was his love for the Dolphin Subtype. When you combined those two factors, well you were bound to get explosive results.

"That's true. So are you really ready for this?" Kisame asks, after locking the door of their room.

"Mmm I've thought about it a great deal. I just wasn't really sure that I could share my mind so intimately with another person. It wasn't because it was you. It was the idea itself that was frightening. That and I was still adjusting to this new world. So it was a lot to take in. I'm ready now though." Itachi tells him with a reassuring smile.

Damn. That was a beautiful smile. The Great White was sure that he would have done anything for Itachi. Just to see that gorgeous smile of his. It was something else.

"Good. I'm glad. I promise that you won't regret it. I'm pretty sure that I knew the moment that I saw you that you were the one. Well at least subconsciously. Mostly, I was just distracted by how pretty you are." Kisame says.

"That is both very sweet and shallow at the same time. I suppose that I can't be too hard on you though. I mean you are an Akatsuki. You can't help that your animal instincts are stronger than mine." Itachi says as he pulls Kisame onto the bed and kisses him.

Kisame smiles as he kisses back. This was perfect. He was finally going to Mark his Mate and there was absolutely no way that he was not going to fully Claim him in every single way possible.

"Mmm what can I say? I'm very easily distracted. That's especially true when it comes to you. Just think there are four oceans in the world and yet, you happened to be dropped off into mine. The odds of us finding each other was lower than either of us winning the lottery, but we did. That's fate." He proclaims.

Itachi smiles in response. Kisame could be quite sweet when he wanted to be. He knew deep down, that he was making the right choice.

That didn't mean that he wasn't nervous though. This was a big step. A very big step and once they made it, there was no going back.

"Yes, it's fate. I never thought that I would have to become part dolphin before I found love, but I'm glad that I do. I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone, other than you." Itachi tells him as he caresses his blue cheek.

The whole blue skin thing had taken awhile to get used to. It was just shocking at first, but now it was only beautiful. It was unique. Just like Kisame.

Kisame the man who had found him almost immediately after he became a merman. The man who had taken him in. Shared his cave with him. Hunted for him. Kissed him like no one else had and had been extremely patient.

"I feel the same way. Though your pretty little tail is not leaving this room for several days after we Mate. Just so you know. I hope that Sasuke understands that. I'm glad you two are so close, but I don't think that he would appreciate walking in on us." The Akatsuki points out.

Itachi couldn't help, but chuckle at that. Kisame was certainly right about that much. His foolish little brother would likely be traumatized for life, if he happened upon them while they were making love.

"Mmm I warned him ahead of time. Sasuke knows and understands. As for that last part, it's tempting. It's tempting to let him walk in on us. If only to see his face and to scar him for life." The elder Uchiha Brother says with a sly smirk.

"Who knew that my Angelfish could be so evil?" Kisame asks with a laugh.

"Mmm. I'm no Angelfish. Hinata is the Angelfish. I'm a Dolphin. There is a big difference." The other man retorts with a smug smirk.

It would almost be worth the embarrassment, just to see the look on Sasuke's face. Though in reality, Itachi wasn't that cruel. He couldn't be that cruel to either of them.

"Alright. So I'll bite your neck and then you bite mine. The Marks will form and the energy is going to knock one of us out while the bond is forged. The other will stay away and watch over the unconscious Mate. It's to help forge the bond of trust." Kisame says.

"I already trust you, but that sounds fine." Itachi says as he bares his neck for Kisame.

Kisame didn't waste any time. The other merman places a trail of soft kisses and gently lovebites along the sensitive flesh and Itachi was soon sighing in pleasure. That felt good.

He almost didn't notice it at first when the Akatsuki sunk his fangs into him. He sunk them in deep, but that's when Itachi felt the chemicals go racing through his veins. It had to be some kind of chemical reaction, but it felt magical.

"K-kisame!" He lets out a needy moan as he returns the favor.

There was just something very right about doing so. Almost as soon as he bit Kisame, he suddenly felt sleepy. Perfectly content with everything.

"Don't worry. The fangs are only temporary." Kisame murmurs as he lays Itachi down on the bed and places a kiss on his forehead.

"The fangs may be temporary, but our love isn't." Itachi whispers and with that, he fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well it looks like Kisame and Itachi will be enjoying their Honeymoon period in merman style. Warnings will be put up before and after the Honeymoon Scene. So you can skip that part, if that's a bit too exotic for your tastes. The plot won't be altered by doing so. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10

A few hours later, Kisame smiles as he watches Itachi sleep. After every Mating of their people, one partner would fall asleep to complete the transition from their Single Life to their Mated one. Generally, it was usually the Nurturer or the more easygoing of the two partners (as was the case in Same Nature Matings).

"It looks like the Mark came in beautifully. Not that I expected anything else." He says with a smirk as he traces the Mark that was now adorning Itachi's neck.

It was a dark blue mark that was in the shape of a Great White Shark's tooth. The Mark was beautifully placed right along the bottom of Itachi's neck and where his shoulder began. A nice, prominent place. That way, everyone would know that they were Mates.

While Itachi was sleeping, it was his job to protect him from any potential predators. Though Kisame knew that it was unlikely a predator was going to come near them in the middle of the castle, he still took his duty seriously. Instincts were a powerful things.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise." He murmurs as he runs his fingers through Itachi's dark, silky tresses.

How did the man get his hair this silky? Was that natural? Shouldn't the ocean water have made it harsher?

On second thought, Kisame decides it didn't matter. Silky hair was just part of who Itachi was. The laws of nature and science could apparently be damned. Not even they, had the heart to mess with Itachi's beautiful tresses.

"Mmm, I know." Itachi murmurs as his eyes slowly open.

"You're awake!" Kisame says happily and Itachi nods as he pulls the other merman down for a deep kiss.

Kisame smiles and returns the favor. Well that was to be expected. The Marking would naturally stimulate the desire to officially Claim each other in every sense of the word. He really should have done this sooner.

There was definitely something to be said for a lustful Itachi. A lustful Itachi who was very skilled with his tongue. The Akatsuki could feel the other merman exploring every of his mouth it and eagerly returns the favor.

"Yes, I am. Kisame, what's that on your neck? Is that your Mating Mark?" Itachi asks, after breaking the kiss.

"Yes. You have one too. I haven't looked at mine yet. Mating Marks are like fingerprints. Each person's Mark is different. It usually represents their species or something about their personality though." The merman murmurs as he caresses Itachi's cheek.

"Hmm. Well I guess that does explain why you have a Mark that looks like dolphin flippers on your neck. It's quite pretty, actually." Itachi muses.

Kisame blinks. Dolphin flippers weren't really what he was expecting, but whatever. He was Mated to Itachi. His masculinity could serve it.

"Well as long as you like it, that's all that matters." He says with a smirk as he pulls Itachi up into his lap and captures his lips in another heated kiss.

Itachi smiles and returns it. It was nice. He could feel what Itachi felt now. The other merman wasn't making an effort to block him, so he knew that it was a good thing that they had locked that door.

"Mmm that's right. As long as I like it, that's all that matters." Itachi retorts smugly, after ending the kiss.

"There's something strangely hot about when you act all bossy." Kisame observes as he caresses his Mate's cheek and slowly slides his hand further down.

Over his cheek and over the other merman's Mating Mark. Over the Mark and onto his biceps. Kisame reveled in the sleek muscles he found in Itachi's arms and over that lightly sun kissed chest. Itachi was far from a bodybuilder, but he definitely had muscles. They were just compact like a cat's.

"Mmm I like it when you touch me, but I'm not really sure how this works. If we were both still human, I would know. We aren't though." Itachi confesses.

"Oh don't worry. I'll show you. Actually, I think you'll find that there are some benefits to merman sex over the human kind." He assures him.

Itachi nods and leans over slightly, brushing his lips against the Mating Mark. Well if Kisame wasn't ready to go before, he definitely was now. Yeah. He was already in the Bulge Stage and they had barely done more than kiss.

"That feels good." He says as he sighs in contentment and tilts his neck to the side, letting Itachi do as he liked.

Normally, the Great White would never expose his neck to anyone. It was a vulnerable spot on the body. It was too easy to tear open, but with Itachi he didn't hesitate at all. The feeling of his kiss against the Mating Mark was nothing short of euphoric.

As Itachi was kissing and licking the Mark, his hand slides over Kisame's tail. Obviously, the other merman was trying to situate himself better. That and the Akatsuki was pretty sure that Itachi had made an interesting discovery.

 **Warning Fantasy Lemon**

"Kisame, something's wrong with your tail. There's a bulge." Itachi says in alarm.

"That's normal. Mermen have stages. The Bulge Stage is the first. It just means that you're aroused. You can feel your other tail slowly rising underneath the scales. It's always there. It's just normally it's further down and you don't feel it." Kisame explains.

Itachi blinks. Well he had been wondering how that exactly worked. Though the Uchiha had been too embarrassed to ask. So his equipment was still intact. It was just hidden underneath his scales.

"Good to know. So if I did this, it would be similar to stroking you as human?" Itachi asks as he glides his hand over the large bulge over where Kisame's crotch would have been as a human.

"Mhm. Exactly. I always knew you were smart. You catch on fast. After the Bulge Stage there is the Reveal Stage. The Reveal Stage is exactly what it sounds like. It slides out of the scales and an opening forms in the back of your tail. Two openings if you're a mermaid. Everything is located exactly in the same place." He informs Itachi.

Well that was a relief. Alright. Itachi could work with this. That and could hear the purring again. Well maybe, not purring exactly. It still sounded a bit too guttural to be called that. Whatever it was though, Itachi definitely liked it.

"Glad to hear it. I guess you must really like me playing with your bulge, if you're actually purring." Itachi says with a smirk.

"What man doesn't want his beautiful Mate to play with his bulge? That's one thing that doesn't' change with species. There's also the Evolution Stage. Our tails become scaly legs. Some people prefer coupling in a form similar to their human form, but you can Mate in the Reveal Stage and Evolution Stage." Kisame explains as he strokes Itachi's scales where his bulge was likely going to form soon.

Itachi concedes that was a good point. Though that did beg the question. Would Kisame prefer the Reveal Stage or the Evolution Stage?

"Mmm I guess that's true. I suppose a few more kisses and touches and you'll be at the Reveal Stage for me." Itachi says with more boldness than he felt as he kisses the other man's neck and rubs his scales.

It was such a strange and wondrous thing. He could feel his own feelings and another presence in the back of his mind. A presence that he somehow knew was Kisame.

Every time that he was touched or touched Kisame, he could feel what the other felt about the situation. The words weren't there, but the feelings were. It was addictive.

"Well you're rather cocky. Though judging by this bulge, you have a damn good reason to be. So I guess it's true what they say about dolphins." Kisame teases him with a smirk as Itachi realizes that he had somehow gone from the Bulge Stage to the Reveal Stage without even noticing it.

He was definitely noticing it now though. Itachi couldn't suppress the moan that escaped from his lips as his Mate touched him there. Not that he wanted to. Kisame apparently found the sounds of his moans to be rather erotic, if the Mating Bond was anything to go by.

"You're always been rather generous with your compliments. Perhaps, I should thank you. Properly." Itachi murmurs as slides further down the bed.

Kisame was still sitting on it, but now his face was in the other man's lap. Which meant that he was easily able to take Kisame's arousal into his mouth. While he was still getting used to the more exotic aspects of lovemaking that being a merman brought, some things were universal.

One of those things was that most men loved being on the receiving end of oral sex. With that in mind, Itachi lightly sucks on the tip and lavishes it with his tongue, while stroking the rest of his Mate's impressive erection.

"F-fuck! Just like that!" Kisame hisses in pleasure.

Itachi smirks around his lover's cock. He loved the way the Akatsuki hissed like an animal and the way that he could feel his lover's arousal. It emboldened him to take more of the other merman into his mouth and to suck harder.

Kisame groans in pleasure as he runs his fingers through Itachi's hair encouragingly. The feeling of the other man's mouth wrapped around his cock was incredible. He'd never been with someone who got him wound up this easily or this fast before. It took all his self-control not to just thrust into that hot mouth on instinct.

"So fucking good." He growls in approval.

He smirks when he feels Itachi's reaction. He liked it when he hissed and growled. Good to know. Though this really shouldn't be such a one-sided exchange.

With that in mind, he slowly reaches down and strokes his Mate's arousal. The reaction was immediately. He could feel Itachi moan around his cock and buck into his hand.

"You're sensitive. I like it and I gotta admit, I've never seen a more beautiful sight than those pretty eyes of yours staring up at me as you suck me off." He murmurs appreciatively as another lustful moan escapes his lips.

Normally, Itachi would have issued a rather scathing retort. Fortunately for the other merman though, Itachi's body was currently in something that he could only describe as ecstasy. The feeling of Kisame's hand touching him so intimately and his fingers running through his hair felt impossibly good. It was hard to scold someone who was evoking such wonderfully wicked feelings inside you.

In light of that, Itachi decides to get his revenge another way. He sucks on Kisame harder and faster and uses his teeth to tease the sensitive flesh. Knowing that Kisame was an Akatsuki meant that he was more wild. The added element of danger was sure to heighten his pleasure.

"Damn it! I-itachi! That's not fighting fair!" Kisame half snarls out in pleasure as he came hard and fast.

Judging by how quickly Kisame had spilled his release after that, Itachi figures he was right. Akatsukis or at least Kisame definitely liked a hint of danger with their pleasure. Good to know, he thinks to himself as he releases the other man from his mouth with a loud pop.

"Mmm they say all is fair in love and war. So yes, it was fair." Itachi retorts.

"Oh that's it. We're going for a spin. Well maybe a hundred or so actually." Kisame says as he quickly swims off the bed and pulls Itachi off it.

Itachi blinks. He wasn't really sure what Kisame meant by a spin, but he was pretty sure that the Akatsuki had something rather exotic in mind. Something that the Uchiha wasn't entirely certain that he was prepared for.

"When you say spin, what do you mean exactly?" The Dolphin asks.

"You'll see. Oh and don't worry. Mermen are different from human men. We don't need to worry about preparing each other." Kisame says.

Before Itachi could respond to that and ask for clarification, the Akatsuki gets behind him and wraps his arms around the Uchiha. Itachi smiles and leans back against him for a kiss. Well he didn't understand how this was going for a spin, but this was nice.

"I love you and trust me, you'll love this." Kisame promises him with a fang-tastic smile, after returning the kiss.

"Love what?" Itachij asks and just like that, Kisame buries himself inside his lover.

It should have been painful, but it wasn't. It just felt… _ **good.**_ Itachi didn't get much time to ponder the potential implications of the differences between merman and human male anatomy though. Kisame had other plans in mind.

He begins slowly sliding in and out of his lover, causing Itachi to moan with each thrust. The Nurturer wasn't really sure how, but Kisame seemed to know where his spot was. Almost instinctively.

"Nnhh! R-right there!" Itachi says as he tries to swallow a lustful moan, but it was to no avail.

"I told you that you'd love it, now watch this part. Don't worry, I won't drop you. It's a complete rush." Kisame assures him as he wraps his arm around Itachi's waist tightly and begins to spin them around in a vertical circle.

It was perfect. God, it was perfect. The feeling of being completely joined with his Mate. Itachi was hot, tight, and wet. His moans were sending a jolt of white hot lust racing through his veins and perhaps best of all, the other merman appeared to be a natural spinner.

The two of them spin together in almost lightning fast circles. The currents of the water surrounding them almost massaging their skin they do so. Every time the thrust inside Itachi, the feeling of soaring pleasure grew strong. It was pure, raw adrenaline. This was how mermen and mermaids made love.

Itachi shivers and moans. He'd never felt so full in his life before. Paradoxically, the feeling was akin to riding a rollercoaster, but he had never felt more safe before. There was a primal joy to it. This must be what it was like to fly, he decides.

"A h-hundred spins sounds good!" Itachi pants out as they spin faster and faster.

The water in the room moving violently in response to their coupling. It was a high like nothing Itachi had never experienced before. With every thrust he hurtled closer to something glorious.

"I though that you might say that." Kisame says as he bites down on Itachi's Mating Mark and the two continue to move as one as Itachi arches back against his Mate.

His Mate. His lover. His Protector. That was the last thought on Itachi's mind, before Kisame thrusts into one final time and sent them both over the edge.

It took several minutes for Itachi to come down from cloud that he was on. As he was panting and trying to catch his breath, the Uchiha was only vaguely aware of his Mate sliding out of him and carrying him to their bed. He smiles though and allows it instinctively. It was nice to be taken care of in this way.

 **End of Fantasy Lemon**

"Mmm spinning is fun. I like spinning. I must confess that I do feel a little dizzy though." Itachi admits Kisame lays him on the bed and they indulge in a little afterglow cuddling.

Of course, Itachi was positive that Kisame would never call it that. That didn't matter though. Cuddling was cuddling and he didn't particularly care what other label his lover might apply to it. It was still cuddling.

"Mmm. Why do I sense that you're feeling smug?" Kisame asks as he wraps his arms around his Mate.

"Because our Mating Bond is fully intact?" Itachi replies.

Kisame chuckles and kisses his Mate. His beautiful Nurturer. In his mind, everything was as it should be.

"Yeah. It's definitely fully functional." The Akatsuki agrees with a smirk.

"Mhm and that's not the only thing that is fully functional." Itachi replies with a sly smile.

God, Kisame loved this merman. Most of the time, Itachi tilted towards the fancy side. The prim and proper side, but damn he could give some good lines when he wanted to.

"Oh yeah. That too." He agrees with a fang-tastic smile.

Meanwhile Sasuke heads to the medical ward of the castle. He was actually rather impressed that the city had a hospital of sorts up this early, but he quickly shoves that thought to the side. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

So he had drug Naruto, Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi with him. He didn't know where Danzo and Sai had slunk off to, but that didn't really bug him. He didn't particularly care for those two, anyway.

"Excuse me, Miss? I was told that you have some sort of test to determine what someone's Inner Nature is? Protector or Nurturer? I was wondering, if you would administer the test to me and my friends?" Sasuke asks.

"Whoa. Who knew that the bastard could be so polite?" Naruto asks with a laugh.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and promptly flips Naruto off. Idiot. There was no reason not to be polite to someone who might be performing your medical exam. Actually, that was a damn good reason to be polite to them.

"Naruto, is now really the time to be discussing Sasuke's politeness or his lack of it?" Neji asks.

The nurse shakes her head in amusement. Well at least Sasuke thought she was a nurse. It was kinda hard to tell down here. Did everyone have actual job titles or was it just King, Queen, and everyone else? He didn't know and decides to ask for clarification on that matter later.

"Yes, I can administer the test. It's a rather easy one to take. You merely touch one of the white crystal and it will change colors. If you're a Protector, it will turn red. If you're a Nurturer, it will turn blue. Do you have any questions?" The nurse asks sweetly.

"No. That seems pretty easy to me!" Hanabi says cheerfully.

"Is it painful? How long does it take to work?" Sasuke asks the nurse.

"No, it's not painful. It works almost instantly. Don't worry. I've given this test to hundreds of mermen and mermaids. I've never had a problem before." She assures him.

Well that was good. With that in mind, Sasuke watches as his friends take the test. Not surprisingly, Naruto and Neji were Protectors. What was surprising though was the fact that Hanabi was a Protector too.

"Well Itachi did say that it didn't have anything to do with gender." Sasuke whispers to himself as he grabs a crystal at the same time that Hinata did.

Hinata's turned blue. He had expected that. He honestly couldn't see her being anything, but a Nurturer. What he didn't expect was that _**HIS**_ crystal turned blue!

"No way! Whoa, Sasuke! It looks like you're going to be a mommy!" Naruto says.

Oh that was it! Sasuke just lost it. He lunges at Naruto in blind rage. He was seeing red and not thinking.

He was about to whip Naruto with his wicked tail, when something stops him. Well more specifically, someone. Someone grabs onto him and pulls them into their chest.

"Thank you, Suigetsu. It seems this one had a poor reaction to his result. That happens sometimes. Though he is a shark type. So I don't know, if I would have been able to calm him." The nurse says.

"No problem. I got him. Easy, Sassy. Easy." Suigetsu says as he struggles to restrain one very pissed off Nurturer.

"Damn. Sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just teasing. You should know that." Naruto says in a rush.

"Naruto, never tease someone about their Inner Nature. It's very cruel. I know that you were just gently ribbing him, but you're all so new to this. Your instincts are raw. It's never a good idea to provoke a shark type, like that. It doesn't matter how gentle Fox Sharks normally are. Those tails can be lethal." The mermaid warns him.

Sasuke was about to prove the nurse's point about his tail. He really was, but he was having a hard time freeing himself from Suigetsu's grasp. He grumbles as he realizes that was probably because Suigetsu was a Great White. His new body probably had more raw power than his by default.

If he could get free, he could slash the ever living Hell out of him with his tail through. It wasn't always the one with the most raw power that won the fight. Sasuke knew that. He just needed to get free.

"Sasuke, calm down. Naruto was just joking around." Suigetsu says as he begins to make a purring sound.

There was something guttural about it. Guttural and musical at the same time. Sasuke didn't know what it was about the sound that was so damn relaxing, it just was.

It must be a merman thing. That was the only logical explanation. He had been ready to tear into Sugietsu good for getting in the middle of his fight with Naruto and now, he wanted to cuddle with him? This was such bullshit!

"Is Sasuke okay?" Hanabi whispers to Neji.

"I'm not entirely sure." Her cousin whispers back as he watches the other merman warily.

"Protectors are able to calm Nurturers by making a special sound. It's instinctual. Sasuke's human mind is still angry, but his shark mind is at ease. It would best, if you all gave him a few moments to collect himself. He's far from the first merman to have a violent reaction to be a Nurturer and he won't be the last." The nurse explains.

Sasuke sees his friends hesitate, but after awhile they begin to swim towards the door. They swam slowly and were looking at him, but apparently they were going to listen to the nurse. Sasuke wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"We'll check back on you in a few minutes." Naruto promises as he swims off with Hinata and the others, his hand on the back of Hinata's tail.

Speaking of hands, Suigetsu really should remove his. He had better remove his or else Sasuke was going to kick his ass!

"Move your hand or lose it." The Fox Shark snarls at him.

"It's cute when you act all tough, but you should really calm down. Relax. It was a fifty-fifty shot and there's nothing wrong with being a Nurturer. Your brother is a Nurturer. Do you think any less of him because of it?" Suigetsu asks as he purrs louder.

Sasuke tries to shake his head to clear the feeling of contentment that was quickly washing over his body. He shouldn't be relaxed. He was angry! Very, very angry!

"Of course not! He's my brother and I love him. I don't care that he's a Nurturer. It's just I wasn't supposed to be one!" Sasuke snaps at him.

"Damn. Sassy, you're really tightly wound up. I've never seen a Nurturer fight off the Calming Call before to this degree. Just relax. It's okay. I can barely restrain you and I'm a Great Fucking White Shark! Believe me, everyone gets that you're strong." He tells him.

That soothed his pride somewhat and that purring thing was lulling him into a false sense of calm. Where was that purring trick when he was taking his finals, Sasuke idly wonders to himself as he lays his head on Suigetsu's shoulder.

"That's right and if you ever cheat like this again, I will whip you. This tail functions like a whip. Just so you know." He murmurs.

"That's my Sassy." Suigetsu says with a smile as the nurse makes a tactful exit.


	11. Chapter 11

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and for those of you who may be having trouble keeping track, I have listed an updated version of the Inner Nature Lists.

 **Protectors:** Kisame, Suigetsu, Sasori, Konan, Hanabi, Obito, and Naruto.

 **Nurturers:** Itachi, Sasuke, Jugo, Rin, Pain, Hinata, and Deidara.

Chapter 11

A few days later, Itachi snuggles up into Kisame's side and marvels at the similarities and differences between this existence and his life as a human. Spinning was certainly new, but some things were universal. One of these was apparently the Honeymoon Period.

"Mmm as much as I am enjoying this, I believe that it's about time that we check on my foolish little brother." He murmurs as he caresses the other man's cheek.

"You mean you want to make sure that Sasuke and Suigetsu's play fights didn't bring down the rest of the castle yet." Kisame says smugly as he kisses Itachi.

Itachi smiles and returns the kiss. While he wouldn't have phrased things exactly in that way, essentially Kisame was right. God only knows what Sasuke would do when left to his own devices when it pertained to the Great White. He was almost afraid to find out, but he knew that he had to.

The elder Uchiha Brother wasn't entirely certain if Kisame knew what he was thinking from their Mating Bond or if the other man just knew him that well. He supposed that it didn't matter. His point was still valid either way.

"Mmm something like that. Though in Sasuke's case, I don't think he's playing. Fortunately, Great Whites are a rather durable species." Itachi says with a sly smirk.

The Dolphin chuckles when he sees Kisame smirk at that assessment. It was an accurate one, in Itachi's mind. Though they really should get going.

"That's true. Can't lie. I got a soft spot for the kid, but he can be hard headed. That and we should probably check on the Guppies." Kisame says cheerfully.

"The Guppies?" Itachi asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, the newbies. Your brother's friends. Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji. Not to mention, we should probably see if the old Sea Slug and that creepy shark are still alive. You know, just out of curiosity. Not that I particularly care what happens to those two." The blue skinned merman replies merrily.

Itachi could only shake his head in response. That was Kisame for you. One never knew what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"Very well. Though I'm certain that's more bluster on your part than anything else. You really don't care what happens to Danzo and Sai?" The Uchiha inquires almost incredulously.

"Mmm. Well I'm not going to go out of my way to hurt them or anything, but I'm not going to risk my tail for em either. You're the one that I care about most. After that, Suigetsu and Sasuke because they're our brothers so to speak. I'm always going to have a fellow Akatsuki's back and your brother's Guppies, but Danzo and Sai? Nah. They can handle themselves." Kisame tells him with a wink.

Itachi wasn't really that attached to Danzo or Sai, but he supposed they did have a moral obligation to at least check on them. After all, they were all in the same boat. (Though perhaps he should say ocean).

"I guess we'll go check on them and what comes of it." Itachi replies.

"You got it. You think that you can swim though. I was pretty…rough on you. It's your own fault though. Being that gorgeous." Kisame says as he caresses his cheek.

"I may be a Nurturer, but I'm not made out of glass. You don't have to worry about such things with me. Though you should probably save your advice for Naruto and Suigetsu. I imagine it wont' be too long before they're Mated to their respective choices. Oh and we should probably have them all tested." Itachi adds as an afterthought.

It had taken him a bit to accept his status as a Nurturer. He could only hope none of the other mermen were Nurturers. That was always a hard pill to swallow at first.

Though now that he had gotten used to the idea, he supposed it made sense. Kisame was the more aggressive between them. It was a case of opposites attract. In a strange way, he represented the more civilized side of their new species and Kisame was a creature almost entirely driven by instinct.

"That brain of yours is going about a thousand miles a minute. Must be normal for someone like you though." The Akatsuki teases him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Itachi demadns.

"Just that you're such a geek. It's alright though. You're one Hell of a hot bookworm. Let's go check on the Guppies." Kisame says as he leads Itachi off.

Meanwhile the Sabaku Siblings were getting used to their new forms. To say the least, it was more than a little jarring. As they were swimming around, Rasa watches them.

"How did I get a Jumbo Shrimp again?" Temari grumbles.

"Thanks to them destroying several labs, the samples were a little limited. Though it's not that bad. You do have a lovely pink tail." Her father comforts her.

His sister was now a mermaid with a squid tail and his brother was a merman with a lobster tail. Well more specifically, he had a tail made out of the same material and color as one. Oh and he was half freaking Orca!

Privately, he muses that he had most certainly gotten the better end of the deal. Orcas. Killer Whales. He could live with that. His black and white tail went rather nicely with his hair. (He knew that sounded a little vain, but whatever).

"Yeah. I guess so. I would have liked Orca better, but the pink is pretty." She concedes.

"The Orca sample was male and we didn't want to risk that…not mixing well with your gender." Her father points out.

That was a good point. Gaara suddenly gets a mental image of a male Temari and shivers. Yeah. That didn't sound good. Better to keep Temari as a woman.

"Can you picture her as a guy?" Kankuro asks and Gaara shakes his head.

He had just tried doing so and he would rather not do that again. Well at least not anytime soon. Though that didn't really matter. What mattered is that they were about to head out into the ocean.

"Did the three of you, do what I asked?" Rasa inquires with a smirk.

His father could be quite cruel sometimes, Gaara muses. Well never to them, but to other people. To other people, the oldest Sabaku could be rather vicious…when he wanted to be.

"Yes, we've done it. Hiashi Hyuga was sleeping and we were able to sneak into his house. It was only one injection, but we left a note by his bed." The red head replies.

 _"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Kankuro asked Gaara._

 _Gaara wasn't to be honest. This could backfire horribly. Still his father had a point. The best way to get rid of a snake was to cut of its head. In this case, that was Hiashi Hyuga._

 _"Not really, but it's the best shot we have." The red head whispered as he slowly slid open the door to Hiashi's room and stepped inside with his siblings._

 _Gaara immediately knocked Hiashi out when he began to stir. Temari administered the dosage and made sure to put the note where the man would see it when he woke up. Kankuro stood watch._

 _If nothing else, Gaara knew that he could count on his family. He and his siblings made an excellent team. That and their father was the leader of the Survivalist. If humanity was going to survive its own success, their best hope was genetic engineering._

 _"Okay, I got it!" Temari said excitedly._

 _"Good. Let's go before he catches us." Gaara replied as they headed off and he took one last look at the note._

 _It was a good note. As far as he was concerned, it explained everything. The Traditionalist was going to be beyond furious when he woke up, but that didn't bother Gaara. Quite frankly, he didn't care for the man all that much._

 _Thankfully, Temari was dating a genius and he had given her sleeping gas in case things ever got bad. Shikamaru had turned into a merman the year before and had a place waiting for them. The Sabaku Siblings wouldn't be human that much longer._

 _"The sleeping gas took care of the guards. It didn't spread to this room yet, but it's going to. We need to get out of here." Kankuro said._

 _Gaara nodded in agreement. It was only a matter of time. With that in mind, he quickly hurls something at the window. It shattered._

 _"Hey! That's going to leave fingerprints!" Temari yelled at Gaara._

 _"I've wearing gloves and even if it did, so what? I doubt the cops are going to turn into mermen and mermaids to catch us for doing a little Breaking and Entering. If Hiashi told them what was in that note, they'd think he was crazy. So let's go!" Gaara ordered them and with that, the Sabaku Siblings snuck out the window and fled off into the night._

"Good. I knew that I could count on the three of you. I would have done it myself, but we were battling some other Traditionalists that night. Things are about to get out of hand and soon. The authorities won't be able to suppress a public panic for much longer. I'm needed here, but I want you three to be safe." Rasa says.

Gaara's eyes soften, but he knew better than to make a big deal out of the unexpectedly sentimental declaration. His father didn't usually do sentimental. The fact that he was doing it now, that was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

"Will you join us soon?" Temari asks.

"I hope to. I have to continue the fight here for awhile. In the worst case scenario, I've already grabbed some genetic samples for myself and can make an emergency exit. Now, go!" He says and with that, the Sabaku Siblings swim off.

It was far from ideal, but there was a certain freedom to it. The orca part of his brain was certainly glad to be in the water and Gaara was with his "pod." He was oddly happy, even if his human mind knew that he shouldn't be.

Back in Sharingan, Obito smiles as he sits down to eat with his family and the strangers. The strangers who he saw much potential in. True, they were a rather eccentric group and difficult to corral. Though that didn't bother him much. They were also endlessly entertaining.

"More shrimp, My Dear?" Obito asks he offers Rin a tray of it.

"Well maybe, just a little bit." She replies with a smile as she bites into it rather gently.

His Mate's appetite still wasn't what it should be, but it was slowly coming back. Rin was looking slightly better with each passing day and their daughter was growing by leaps and bounds. Princess Akemi had completely enchanted the entire city.

Not that Obito could blame them. She was such an adorable creature. Naturally, he would have preferred it, if his Mate hadn't suffered so much to bring her into this world. Now that she was here though, he was never letting her or her mother go. They were his whole world.

"So Hinata, do you think your dad will ever calm down about all this?" Naruto asks as he stuffs his mouth with some more oysters.

"I hope so." The Angelfish murmurs as she nibbles on a few clams.

From what Obito had gathered, the Hyugas had a family member who was leading the "Traditionalists." Obviously, they had broken ranks though. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here.

The King couldn't see someone like Hiashi Hyuga allowing his family members to become mermaids and mermen to spy on their kind. Their kind was far too scattered for the most part to spy on. Not that Hiashi was aware of that fact, but it was the principle of the thing.

"We aren't that lucky." Neji says with a sigh.

Neji was an interesting one. A brilliant strategist, but a horrible pessimist. The Sharingan King wasn't certain that he wanted to know what had happened to the boy to make him that way. Sadly, he suspected that his uncle was at least partially to blame. That was a problem for another day though.

"Father is really upset about genetic engineering. I don't know why. I like my new tail." Hanabi says as she sips her drink.

Hanabi was another fascinating case. She was the second female Protector that he had spent any considerable time with. The fact that she was so young, made it even more interesting.

Obito knew their Inner Natures because he had asked them the day before. Kisame and Itachi were far enamored with each other to notice. They'd find out soon enough, he supposed. Actually, it was likely they were going to find out during this dinner.

One's Inner Nature appeared to be largely instinctual. She was far too young to find True Love and yet, her instincts were there. It was something worthy of noting, in his mind.

"It's complicated." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Eh. Not really. He's just scared of change. He should get it over with. It's adapt or die at this point. So we adapted." Sugietsu says as he slides a tray of oysters to Sasuke.

"You should know that's not going to work on my foolish little brother. He's well aware that oysters are an aphrodisiac." Itachi notes in amusement as he swims over to the table.

Judging by the look on Sasuke's face though, the young merman hadn't been aware of that fact. He twitches and lashes his tail at Suigetsu rather angrily. Obito knew that it was more bark than bite though.

Well that was an unusually aggressive Nurturer. Perhaps, there were different degrees though. On the other hand, Itachi seemed perfectly content with his role as he sat down at the table in his new Mate's lap.

"Hey, what's that on your neck?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Oh this is my Mating Mark. Kisame has one as well. You can think of them as similar to wedding rings." Itachi says with a smile.

Kisame smiles and kisses Itachi's cheek. He was glad that his Mate was proud of his Mating Mark. That was a good sign.

"Owe! Hey, watch the tail! I mean it's cute and everything how you pretend that you aren't totally into me. The whole playing hard to get thing, but I draw the line at drawing blood! Sheesh!" Suigetsu growls.

"You should know better than to hit on Sasuke. Everyone that's ever hit on him gets ignored or he tends to do stuff like that! Actually, I'm kinda surprised that Itachi let himself get caught! He usually plays hard to get too! It's an Uchiha Thing, I think!" Naruto says merrily.

"Mmm that is a good point. I am beginning to notice that pattern myself. I'm fortunate that Deidara is such a beautiful and simple creature." Sasori says with a smile as he caresses the blonde's cheek.

Deidara beams and Kisame chuckles. He knew that the underlying message would take a minute to sink in, but it was going to be funny when it did. 3, 2, 1...

"That's right! Hey, wait a minute! Yeah?! What are you trying to say?! Are you calling me simple?! Isn't that another word for stupid?!" The energetic blonde demands.

And there it was. Like clockwork. He had never seen two Mates who bickered more. Kisame are pretty sure that it was all a strange form of foreplay though. That was the only logical explanation.

"No. I'm just saying that you are a creature of instinct. Your wants and desires are rather easily understood. Speaking of that, I think that my Mate needs some reassurance. Thank you, for the wonderful meal. May we be excused?" Sasori asks Obito slyly.

"Of course. There's nothing better than spending some quality time with your Mate." Obito says as he gives Naruto a wink and the blonde blinks.

Hinata seemed to get the message though. The Angelfish was blushing redder than any lobster that Kisame had ever seen. Yeah. This was going to be interesting.

"What are you winking at me for?" Naruto asks in confusion.

Sasuke smacks his forehead and mutters something about oblivious idiots. Itachi didn't look like he was that far behind. His beloved Mate was rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

Kid was completely oblivious. Kisame couldn't argue with that. What kidn of Protector didn't notice that he was in love with a Nurturer? Well at least that's what the Akatsuki assumed they were.

"So did you guys get tested while we were enjoying our Honeymoon?" He asks cheerfully.

Sasuke quickly covers Suigetsu's mouth and nods. That was one theory confirmed. If the younger Uchiha was a Protector, Kisame doubted that he would be that embarrassed.

"Well it seems my foolish little brother is a Nurturer." Itachi muses.

"Shut it!" Sasuke grumbles as he rather viciously stabs his meal with a fork.

"Yeah. I wouldn't tease him about it. Sasuke can get pretty sensitive. I'm a Protector. So is Hanabi. Hinata and Sasuke were both Nurturers. I don't know about Danzo and Sai though. They didn't take the test with us." The sapphire eyed merman continues.

That's when Danzo and Sai came and Itachi raises an eyebrow. Where had they been? Something felt off to put it mildly.

He leans into his Mate instinctively for reassurance as he eyes the pair with suspicion. They were so separate from the rest of the group. As far as he could tell, they were only staying here for safety reasons.

"I'm sorry that we're late. Sai got caught up watching one of the races. I'm afraid that I didn't have the heart to take him away. You're only young once." He says cheerfully.

Cheerfully really didn't suite Danzo. The action of smiling seemed rather alien to him. Kisame might have blue skin, but Danzo was the one who was acting strangely.

"You alright?" Kisame whispers into Itachi's ear.

He shivers from the feeling of warmth. The warmth of his Protector's breath on his ear. It was equal parts comforting an erotic. An intriguing mix to say the least.

Maybe, they should have stayed in their room. They could have gotten a few more spins in. That would have been fun.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Itachi murmurs as he kisses Kisame's cheek.

He didn't miss the look of disgust that flashed in Danzo's eyes. Whether it was because they were both men or Kisame was exotic, Itachi didn't really know. All he knew was that he didn't care for it.

"Yes, that's true. I'm certain that one day, Akemi will also greatly enjoy the races." Rin says with a sweet smile.

Perhaps, she was trying to diffuse the tension in the room. Thankfully, most of the people in it…didn't seem to notice what was really going on. The elderly merman was more than a little repulsed by his relationship with Kisame.

Itachi was considering saying something about it and putting the other man in his place, but thinks better of it. There was no need to make a scene. He was in love with Kisame and Kisame was in love with him. That was all that mattered.

"It was great fun!" Sai says with a creepy smile.

Not the opinion of some fossil who had one foot in the grave. Itachi was happily Mated and that was that. Nothing that Danzo said or thought was going to change that!

Itachi couldn't lie though. Sai's smile was just not natural. Something was strange about that one.

"It's quite alright. Sit and eat. There is plenty of everyone." Obito states.

"Thank you. You've been so generous with your home." Danzo says as he sits next to Sai.

"It's our pleasure. If we are going to make Sharingan the envy of the underwater world, it has to start somewhere." He says as he hands his lobster to another merman.

"That was kind of you to share your food with him." Danzo notes.

Itachi was getting the impression that it had less to do with kindness and more to do with practicality. Was that a food taster? Was Obito really that paranoid or did he have good reason to believe someone might try to assassinate him?

The Dolphin didn't know and that was a disturbing thought. As much as he disliked the idea of a Monarchy in general, Itachi knew that this new world was going to need some form of government. People wouldn't be content to swim around the oceans alone forever. Some type of society was eventually going to form and Obito was as good as anyone to lead it.

"Oh my husband isn't being kind. That's the Royal Food Taster." Rin explains.

"Oh well it's always good to be cautious." Danzo says as he bites into his meal and the taster does the same.

A few days later, Itachi blinks as he hears the sounds of someone vomiting. Immediately, he goes to check on the person in question. It was the Food Taster and the King.

"Someone has been poisoning my meals. I just know it." The King grunts out in agony.

"Come. Let's get you to the healer. She might be able to help you." Itachi says as he offers them both his hands.

"I'll take one and you can take one." Kisame says simply as he swims over to his Mate.

Itachi smiles. There were definitely advantages to the Mating Bond. His lover must have sensed his distress and come to assist him.

"That sounds like a very good idea to me." The elder Uchiha Brother says as he escorts the Food Taster off for medical care and Kisame does likewise of the King.

To say the least, this turn of events was disturbing. Disturbing, but not surprising. Everyone was going to be jockeying for position in a place like this. A place that was still being build and there were no firm rules.

"Will you please tell my Mate that I ate something that didn't agree with me?" Obito asks Itachi and Itachi nods.

"I will. I promise. Healer, the King has potentially been poisoned and the same applies to Choji. Choji the Food Taster." Itachi says as he swims off to find the Queen.

Why wouldn't someone try to kill of the competition at this early stage? It was the perfect time to strike. Obito's guard had been lowered slightly and someone had taken advantage of that fact.

The only question was who? That and could they stop him or her before they made a second attempt on the King's life? What if the next one was successful?

"Itachi, wait up!" Kisame says as he rushes over to his Mate's side.

"Alright. We really should find Rin though." He murmurs.

"We will. Don't worry about anything. It's going to be alright. Obito's made of tougher stuff than that. I'm sure that he'll be fine." Kisame assures him.

Itachi nods. He wanted to believe that and Kisame sounded rather positive about it. The world was much easier to face when you had a Mate by your side. That much was for certain. Kisame was probably the only thing keeping him from panicking.

"You're right. Let's go." He says with a smile as the two of them swim off to find the Queen.


	12. Chapter 12

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This story is Sci-Fi and thanks to genetic engineering the reproductive abilities of some characters are different than they would be as a human. So there will be Mpreg. I do not plan on getting very detailed in that aspect of the story, but feel that it was only fair to warn people. I know that Mpreg is not everyone's thing and that's okay. So warnings will be put in place during any parts of the stories that describe that plot device.

Chapter 12

His life was ruined. Ruined. Hiashi Hyuga couldn't believe that anyone could be this sadistic. This cruel, but someone had been. Damn those brats! Damn them!

The Hyuga Patriarch sighs as he glances down at the note for what seemed liked the thousandth time and the scientist administers him another injection. Another injection that was slowly turning him into a monster.

"Don't look so forlorn. The program has produced wonderful results. Besides, this way you can be with your daughters again." Tsunade tells him.

That was potentially true. There might be a silver lining to this, but Hiashi doubted it. That and did he really want to see them again? His daughters and nephew had betrayed him!

"By wonderful results, you mean turned human beings into animals." He mutters in disgust.

"If you prefer, I can stop this right now. We've never had someone stop treatment before. There's no way of knowing what would happen to you, if you did. The genetic material might simply filter out of your system, you could die, or you could be stuck halfway between being a human and a merman." The busty blonde warns him.

Hiashi grimaces. The woman wasn't fighting fair and she knew it. He had to follow through with the injections.

It was the only way that he could help his people. The Traditionalists might scorn him now, but he would help them. Perhaps, Hiashi would be able to help them even as a fish.

"Continue with the injections. I have no other choice." He says with a sigh as he glances at the note once again.

The note that had explained why his life would never be the same. The note that apparently, Rasa's children had left behind for him. Damn them! Damn them all!

 _ **Dear Hiashi Hyuga,**_

 _ **Congratulations. It's rare that someone has a chance to start over. To build an entirely new life for themselves, but you have that opportunity.**_

 _ **You're the on leader of the Traditionalists, but I hope that you won't squander this opportunity. While you were asleep, we dealt with your guards and injected you with Swordfish DNA.**_

 _ **You now have essentially two choices. You may become a merman or you may take your chances. Wait to see what happens, if you stop taking injections. It might mean your death, but that's your decision to make.**_

 _ **Our people believe that this is humanity's last chance to survive. Well at least mostly. We're willing to adapt. Nothing ever stays the same forever.**_

 _ **It's sad that your people are having a hard time accepting that fact, but it's reality. You can become a merman and live or you can stay human and potentially die. The choice is entirely up to you.**_

 _ **We have enclosed some instructions to the newest lab. In the event, that you decide to swallow your pride…you'll know where to get the help you need. Think very carefully. This isn't a decision to be made lightly.**_

 _ **Sincerely, the Survivalists.**_

Those bastards had completely ruined his life. Hiashi was determined that he would return the favor in full though. One way or another, the Survivalists were going to pay for this.

"I'm half tempted to just leave you as you are. You certainly do deserve it. Don't think that I don't recognize you, Hiashi Hyuga. Your people have been attacking our labs. You should all be in prison, but I can't do it. I'm a medical doctor. I'm sworn to do no harm to my patients and unfortunately, you are one of my patients at the moment." The busty blonde warns him.

They were going to pay for stealing three of his family members from him. They were going to pay for making a mockery out of humanity and most of all, they were going to pay for what they did to him. They were turning him into some sort of monster. That wasn't something that he could ever forgive the Survivalists for. Never!

"I don't need your lectures! I need your treatments!" He thunders at her.

"And you need to stop yelling at Tsunade. Show a little gratitude. The woman is saving your life." Jirayia growls at Hiashi as he makes his way into the room.

Damn it. As if one of them wasn't bad enough, now Hiashi had to deal with two of them. Most likely, Orochimaru would walk through the door soon and he'd be dealing with three mad scientists.

This was one of those days, when Hiashi Hyuga wished that he had never made the foolish mistake of getting out of bed. He should have just hidden away in his bed and waited for oblivion to welcome him into its loving arms, but he couldn't.

"Exactly." Tsunade agrees with Jirayia.

He had work to do. Hiashi was going to make them all suffer for what they had done and he was going to save humanity. It didn't matter that he wasn't going to be entirely human for much longer, Hiashi had to try!

Meanwhile Obito was still being treated by Sakura. Thankfully, Kisame and Itachi had managed to get him the help that he needed. Choji was also in recovery.

"Thank you, so much. I don't know what I would have done, if something were to happen to him." Rin whispers.

Itachi nods at the woman sympathetically. He couldn't imagine his world without Kisame in it. Not now and they had only recently been Mated.

For Rin, it might be even worse. She had been Mated to Obito for years and they had a child together. Not only that, but they were trying to establish a Kingdom and she would be left to rule it on her own.

"You're welcome, but you don't have to thank us. It was our pleasure, truly." Itachi assures her.

"Yeah. We couldn't just let someone poison the King. I mean he's got you and a little baby to think about. This just ain't right. What kind of sicko would poison a new dad?" Kisame asks.

Itachi nods his head in agreement. Whoever did this, apparently didn't mind Princess Akemi growing up without a father and he couldn't lie. That put a bad taste in his mouth.

They were dealing with someone who either had a very personal grudge against Obito or wanted power at all costs. There was no mystery why someone would go after the King. Power or revenge. Possibly both.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Rin hisses.

The Uchiha knew exactly what the beautiful mermaid was thinking. She wanted to find out who did this and punish them. The woman was out for blood and he couldn't blame her.

God knows, if someone had done that to Kisame…he would have absolutely lost it. Itachi likely would be tearing the castle apart, right about now. Mercifully, the Queen was somehow maintaining her composure. Though he didn't really know how long that would last.

"Don't worry. We will, Your Highness." Sakura says reassuringly.

Itachi certainly agreed with the sentiment, though it was less intimidating coming from a Pufferfish Type. Still he supposed that it was the thought that counted. They needed to find out who had made the attempt on the King's life and stop them.

A few day later, the King was up and around. So was Choji. Kisame was pretty relieved about this.

Mostly because the guy had a newborn to care for and because Itachi had been worried. Though he knew that his Mate was still anxious. He could feel it through their bond.

"It's going to be alright, Itachi. We'll find out who did it." Kisame tells him as he caresses his cheek.

"Mmm. I know that we will. Well it looks like the races are going well. They've got a new racer. Interesting." Itachi comments absentmindedly.

Kisame looks out the window to see what his Mate was talking about and ohs. Yeah. Itachi was right. That was definitely a new racer. Hmm. An Orca type. Cool.

"Well you know, Obito lets the winners eat with him. I think he wants to show that he's a merman of the people or something. So it'll be pretty cool to get to know a Killer Whale." Kisame says with a wink.

Itachi chuckles in response and the Akatsuki feels his spirits lift. He didn't like it that his Mate was so anxious lately. Not that Itachi didn't have a good reason to be, but still.

He was his Protector. It was his job to make sure that his Mate was safe and happy. Sadly, Kisame had been doing a better job at the first part than the second part since the poisoning. He was going to remedy that soon though!

"Mmm. I suppose so. Should I be jealous though? He looks a little young for you and you're my Mate." Itachi teases him.

"Oh believe me. You've got nothing to be jealous about. No one could ever compare to you. He might be fast, but I doubt he could spin as good as you." Kisame assures his Mate as he kisses his forehead.

"Glad to hear it. I really didn't want to have to kill the new guy." Itachi whispers.

Kisame smirks. He knew that Itachi was saying that only half jokingly. Animal instincts could be difficult to control sometimes. Really, really different.

Scaring off or killing rivals for the right to Mate, well that was just deeply ingrained in one's psyche. Itachi couldn't help it and neither did he. Thankfully, they still had their human minds. So the impulse was tempered by the rational mind. (Still there were times when it was a close call).

"Yeah. Be a nice Dolphin. Come on. Let's head to dinner. We wouldn't want to be late. I'm kinda surprised that Obito hasn't just decided to have his meals in his chambers though. That's what I would have done." The Akatsuki admits.

"That would seem to be a smarter move, but I suppose he just doesn't want to give the potential assassin the satisfaction. That or he's deliberately pretending to be oblivious to the attempt on his life. In all honestly though, it's likely a combination of both of those things." The elder Uchiha brother muses.

"I guess so. Well time for food!" Kisame says happily as he swims of with Itachi.

A few minutes later at dinner, Danzo was seated next to Sai. There were some new guests in the castle, but for the most part that didn't really bother him. They were just three siblings who had won a race and earned the right to dine with the Royal Family.

"So you must have been a merman for awhile. Do you like it?" Gaara asks Jugo.

"Oh. Yes. I quite like it. The pace of life down here feels so much more natural and it's so beautiful. There are more types of fish for instance than one could ever count and the coral reefs are nothing short of stunning." Jugo says.

Danzo blinks. That was more than he had heard the gentle giant talk in the entire time that he had known the man. Oh well. That wasn't his concern.

His primary concern was not to get caught. He needed to ensure that Obito didn't become suspicious of him. In order to do that, he had to make nice with the Royal Family.

"Yes, it is beautiful here. Almost ethereal." Gaara agrees.

"Your daughter seems to be doing wonderfully." Danzo says cheerfully to Obito.

"Yes, she is. We're so blessed that she and Rin made it through the delivery safely. It's all thanks to Sakura." He replies with a smile.

Rin nods her head in agreement and leans down to check on Akemi. The baby mermaid was laying in a crib next the table. That meant that as the Queen was checking on her daughter, Danzo could see her Mating Mark.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was an orange clownfish. The Marking was on the left side of her neck and contrasted nicely against her fair skin. It seemed that the neck was the most common place to Mark your Mate, he idly notes.

"Yes, we got very lucky. You see, we didn't realize that I was pregnant when we took the injections. It's the male seahorses that carry the children. So half of my biology just wasn't compatible with the pregnancy." Rin says.

"Ouch! That sounds really brutal. Sorry, you had to go through that." Naruto says.

"I can't even imagine, what I would have done in your place. I would have gone insane with worry over this one." Sasori says as he caresses Deidara's cheek.

Deidara beams and Danzo barely refrains from rolling his eyes. This whole Mating thing was far too sweet for his tastes. If it was any sweeter, the elderly man was certain he would have gotten cavities by now.

Despite that, Danzo continues surveying his surroundings. One never knew when even the most trivial detail would come in handy.

"Awe! You do care, yeah!" Deidara beams at Sasori and kisses him.

Trivial details like Mating Marks. The blonde merman had red sting ray mark on his neck. Sasori's was a golden octopus. The King's was a purple Seahorse. Interesting.

"Of course, I care. I wouldn't have Mated you, if I didn't." Sasori informs him.

He didn't really understand why everyone was so obsessed with Mating. Though Danzo supposed that had something to do with his age. He was more concerned about leaving a legacy than chasing tail. (Pun intended).

"This is a wonderful meal." Konan says with a smile as she sits in her Mate's lap.

Konan's and Pain's relationship was interesting though. A female Protector and a male Nurturer. Danzo wondered how common such a Mate was as he glances at their Mating Marks.

An orange Jellyfish for Konan on her neck and a purple one for Pain. Though his was on his arm instead of his neck. Danzo couldn't help, but wonder if that was important or just a matter of preference.

"I must say, I'm impressed. How did you get your makeup to stay on under the water?" Sai asks Kankuro pleasantly.

"It's not makeup! It's warpaint! It's waterproof warpaint." Kankuro grumbles.

"Ah. Well I do appreciate the artistry that went into it. You know, that's my hobby. I'm an artist." He tells him.

Oh Good Lord. God help him. It seemed that even Sai might be falling prey to this Mating Obsession. He hadn't even known Sai was gay, but apparently he was.

The man was looking at Kankuro with far too much interest for it to be entirely platonic. Wonderful. That was another variable that he was going to have to factor into the equation.

"That's cool. Painting? Drawing? Sculpting?" Kankuro asks curiously.

"Oh a little of everything. Mostly painting and drawing though. I've started on sculpting recently. I've gotten very good with my hands." Sai tells him with a far too cheerful smile.

What disturbed Danzo most was the fact that the smile appeared _**real**_. It wasn't his standard fake smile. Damn it. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

Itachi raises an eyebrow as he sees Danzo surveying the room. He was doing so with such purpose, that the elder Uchiha Brother doubted it was a coincidence. He was willing to bet that the other merman had something to do with Obito's poisoning.

He just had to find some proof. Though that was easier said than done. Danzo struck him as a crafty old backstabber.

"Itachi, are you alright?" Sasuke asks suddenly.

Itachi was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear Sasuke at first. It wasn't until Sasuke lightly cracks the water next to Itachi with his tail, that he snapped out of it. Damn it. He must have really been out of it.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" He replies.

"Your pouch is glowing." The Fox Shark informs him.

His pouch? What on Earth did Sasuke mean by his pouch? He didn't have any pouch.

That's when Itachi looks down and blinks. The strange belt like material around his hips was indeed glowing. Well he supposed that pouch was as good a name for it as anything, really. Though that didn't answer the important questions that were now on his mind.

"Oh congratulations!" Rin says excitedly.

Why was his pouch glowing? Was this permanent? Was his life in danger? What had caused it?

"W-What are you congratulating him for?" Hinata inquires nervously.

That was a damn good question, really. What was the Queen congratulating him for? Did it have something to do with his glowing pouch?

"Yes, I must confess. I'm also wondering the same thing." Neji adds.

They weren't the only ones. Did the Queen know something that he didn't? That thought was more than a little unsettling. Rin knew more about his own body than he did.

 **Warning Mpreg Scene**

"Well a glowing pouch means you're pregnant. Our new bodies can carry babies, no matter the gender. Usually, it's Nurturers who are the ones who get pregnant though." Rin explains.

Itachi blinks. Whatever he had been expecting. That wasn't it. He was pregnant?!

He glances at Kisame nervously. Itachi wasn't really sure how the other merman would react to that little bombshell. Honestly, did the Queen have no tact at all? That wasn't something that you just mentioned so casually!

"Itachi, it's okay. You don't have to worry about me. If I didn't want you to have my hatchlings, I would have taken precautions. Just how think how cute the little guy or girl is going to be." Kisame says smugly as he wraps his arms around his suddenly skittish Mate.

Oh good. Well at least Kisame was happy about it. Itachi was still in shock though.

He honestly had no idea how to react to the news. The Dolphin liked kids. He always had. It was just that when he pictured becoming a parent, he had always assumed that he would be the father. Not the mother.

"And you're still a father. The fact that you're the one laying the egg doesn't change your gender." Kisame assures him.

Laying the egg?! Wait. Had the Akatsuki referred to children as hatchlings? He was going to lay an egg?!

"How…exactly does this work?" The raven haired man asks anxiously.

"Well I had to have a c-section, but my pregnancy was the exception. Not the rule." The Queen says soothingly.

Kisame shakes his head and rumbles for Itachi. It was that damn purring thing. The one that calmed him almost instantly in ways that the merman didn't understand. It was equal parts soothing and infuriating.

"You really shouldn't wind yourself up like this. It's bad for you and the baby. Basically, you're pouch will expand and eventually, you'll lay the egg. The egg will take a few days to get bigger and the baby will come out. You don't need to experience labor to have it. The egg just pops up towards the top when its ready." The First Generation Merman explains.

Well that was a relief. At least he didn't have to go through labor. That was something.

"How long does this "pregnancy" last?" He demands.

"Ah a couple months. Give or take a week or two. There is some slight variation depending on the what subtype the parents are." Kisame continues.

That was good. A shorter pregnancy would probably be less traumatic. Well this wasn't what he was planning, but he did love Kisame. While he was still anxious about being pregnant, he loved their child too.

"Good to know." He mutters with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Itachi. I'll take good care of you." Kisame promises.

"Whoa, bastard! Do you know what this means? You're going to be an uncle!" Naruto exclaims and Sasuke rolls his eyes in response.

Itachi couldn't help, but laugh at that reaction. It seemed so normal. Truthfully, that helped to ground him a bit. It seemed his foolish little brother and his best friend were always going to bicker like cats and dogs. It didn't matter whether it was on dry land or under the Sea.

There was something comforting about that. Something so normal. Predictable. It made him feel much more relaxed and with that thought in mind, Itachi cuddles closer into Kisame's chest.

"Yes, I know that. God, you're such an idiot sometimes." Sasuke mutters.

"Sasuke! Be nice!" Hinata lightly chastises him.

"What? You know that it's true." Sasuke grumbles and Suigetsu nods sympathetically.

Itachi chuckles at the sight. Well he supposed that Uchihas must be naturally attracted to Great Whites or something. That or the reverse. Maybe, Great Whites were just naturally attracted to their family.

Oh well. That was something to ponder for later. Right now, he had a baby to plan for. That and he was going to be watching Danzo very carefully from now on.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better. I promise that nothing's gonna happen to you or our Hatchling." Kisame tells him.

"Mmm. I know. That's why you're called a Protector because you protect things." Itachi notes in amusement.

"Damn right. Now, lets get that sexy tail of yours back to bed. You should be resting." He states.

Uh oh. Itachi could see where this was going and his pregnancy had only just begun. Kisame was likely going to drive him crazy with his overprotective nature.

Well at least he was only going to be pregnant for a couple months. Itachi wasn't really sure that he could have handled an overprotective Akatsuki for nine. So that was something.

"Alright. Just don't go overboard. I know that you're excited about the pregnancy and worried about me, but you don't need to go crazy over it." The Uchiha says.

"Right. Right. Come on. Lets get you back to the bed." Kisame says as he scoops Itachi up into his arms Bridal Style and carries him off.

As Itachi was being escorted off, he catches bits and pieces of the conversation that resulted. To say the least, it was all rather predictable. Though more than a little embarrassing.

"Did that really just happen?" Sasuke asks.

"Looks like it. No need to be jealous though. That'll be you one day." Suigetsu tells him.

"I never would have thought of Itachi as a mommy, but it's kinda cute." Naruto says cheerfully.

Oh Dear God. They were never going to let him live this down. Itachi just knew it.

"You're such an idiot. Both of you. First of all, Suigetsu that is NOT going to be me one day. Secondly, my brother isn't a mommy. He's going to be the second father to the child. Third, why am I surrounded by idiots?" Sasuke asks with a groan as everyone else chuckles.


	13. Chapter 13

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Informally, one could think of this as the _**Couples' Chapter.**_ You will get to see how different relationships are developing under the Ocean and there will be lots of warm fuzzies. Enjoy!

Chapter 13

Two weeks later, a new arrival came to Sharingan. A new arrival that had the Fourth Generationers on edge. While Suigetsu generally preferred to exercise his Ocean Smarts to Book Smarts, the white haired merman knew that something was up.

Ocean Smarts were like Street Smarts. The only difference is you used them under the ocean. That was why they were called Ocean Smarts and right now, he was going to use them to get some answers out of Sir Foxiness.

"So what's going on? Why are you guys all tense? Angelfish looks like she's about ready to have a panic attack and the Porpoise looks like she's seen a ghost. Not to mention, Lavender Eyes is on major edge. What gives?" Suigetsu asks.

He was a Protector. It was his job to make sure that his Nurturer was safe and happy. If the Swordfish was bothering Sasuke, Suigetsu was damn sure going to take care of it.

"That man is Hiashi Hyuga. He's Hinata's and Hanabi's father as well as Neji's uncle." Sasuke says as if no further explanation was needed.

It was needed though. The violet eyed merman had no idea who Hiashi Hyuga was. Why was his family so scared of him?

"Yeah. So? Shouldn't that be a good thing?" He asks.

That's when it dawned on him. Awhile back, Hinata had been discussing how her father was the leader of the Traditionalists. Suigetsu had never paid much attention to politics before, but he knew what the Traditionalists stood for. They were against genetic engineering and more specifically, they were against humans becoming mermen and mermaids.

"Wait. HE'S the guy?! Hiashi is the one who has been whipping the Two Leggers into a frenzy?" The sword lover demands.

"Yeah. That's the guy. I'm not sure how he ended up a merman or what he's doing here, but I doubt it's good." Sasuke whispers.

This was bad. Sasuke hadn't tried to slap him yet. He hadn't tried to slap him once since Hiashi showed up. That meant that the Fox Shark was really, really nervous.

"So you think he's here to try to mess with us?" Suigetsu asks and Sasuke nods.

"That or he had a complete change of heart in a relatively short period of time. I guess it's possible. Maybe, his love for his family was enough to overcome his hatred of our world." The raven haired merman continues.

"Maybe, but you don't think so." Suigetsu states firmly.

Was it possible that Hiashi just wanted to learn about their city and was planning to tell the Traditionalists where they were? The Hyuga Patriarch might be planning on helping his friends to attack them. That could explain why Sir Foxiness was so nervous.

"No. I don't. Knowing Hinata and Hanabi though, they're going to plead his case to the King and Queen. They'll try to get him permission to stay here." Sasuke mutters.

"Well even if they let him stay, we'll keep a close eye on him. Don't worry. I wouldn't let anything happen to that sexy tail of yours." He says cheerfully.

He didn't expect what happened next. Sasuke brushes his lips against his own. Sasuke was kissing him! He was kissing him!

At first, the Great White was frozen in shock. He quickly got over it though and deepened the kiss. Like Hell was he going to miss this opportunity!

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining!" Suigetsu asks between kisses.

"I think it was my Nurturer Instincts. Anyway, I still think that you're a Masochist. You're a very stubborn one though." Sasuke says with a smile.

"Well yeah. Damn straight. I mean it's not every day that such a foxy little shark shows up." He says cheerfully.

Suigetsu hears someone chuckle from nearby, but he wasn't paying any attention. Sasuke was finally warming up to him! It was nothing short of a miracle, really!

"Right. Well don't let it go to your head, but you're also hot. So I figure since you apparently aren't going to give up anytime soon, you can have one chance. You mess it up and you are going to leave me alone or else I will slice you into a million little pieces with my tail. Got it?" Sasuke asks.

"Got it! Oh and just so you know, it's disturbingly sexy when you issue death threats like that!" Suigetsu tells him.

"You really are such a Masochist, but you're also a good kisser. So I guess I can overlook that fact." Sasuke says.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement as he watches his foolish little brother kiss the other Great White. Well if nothing else, Great Whites seemed to be a rather persistent lot. Though he supposed he might be jumping the gun on that observation.

After all, he had only met two Great White Shark Subtypes. It might be a little early to apply any sort of observation to the entire subspecies. Still Kisame and Suigetsu were rather relentless when it came to getting what (or who) they wanted. He had to admit that much.

"Well I'll be damned. I thought that your brother was going to give him a case of blue fins forever." Kisame says with a chuckle.

Blue fins were just a polite way of saying blue balls under the sea. Itachi was still learning the lingo that came with being a merman. Half the time, he suspected Kisame was just making it up as he went along. It didn't matter though.

It was amusing and he loved his Mate. He could humor the man's eccentricities. Hell, he could even humor him teasing Sasuke in such a fashion.

"He's always been rather stubborn. I am sorry that I made you wait that long though." Itachi says as he nuzzles Kisame underneath the chin.

 **Warning Parental Itachi and Kisame Scene**

"Eh. It's alright. It was frustrating as Hell, but you're more than worth the watch. So is our hatchling. How are you feeling?" He asks as he lightly brushes his hand against Itachi's pouch.

The pouch was a bit bigger than it had been two weeks ago. Itachi wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but he could swear that it got a bit bigger everyday. He was too afraid to ask for someone to confirm that though.

"I'm alright. Mostly, I'm just hungry and sleepy. That and I want to be close to you. I always want to be close to you, of course. This is different though. More intense." The Uchiha replies.

He made sure to get looked at by the medic every day. Itachi didn't want to leave anything to chance. The way that Queen Rin had responded to his pregnancy, suggested that it was fairly normal for mermen to get pregnant. Still it was better safe than sorry in his mind.

"Ah. That's normal. That's just your Nurturer instinct seeking out the security of your Protector. Yeah. I know that it sounds pretty prehistoric, but that's just the way it usually goes." Kisame says with a smile as he wraps his arms around Itachi and kisses his Mating Mark.

 **End Parental Kisame and Itachi Scene**

Itachi sighs in pleasure when Kisame kissed his Mark. He always did. God, that always felt so good. It drove him crazy.

"Mmm. You're right. That does sound pretty prehistoric. I can't deny that it's likely accurate though." Itachi admits.

Being a merman was a strange mix of ancient and new. Itachi was often overwhelmed by how new this world was. At the same time though, his dolphin side relied on positively primal instincts.

"Good. Why don't we go back to our room? Maybe, take a few Spins. It'll be fun." The Akatsuki suggests with a smirk.

Needless to say this could all get very confusing and very quickly. Most of the time though, it didn't really matter. He had Kisame, their baby, and Sasuke. That was more than enough to make Itachi a happy merman. The Uchiha could figure out the rest later.

"That is very tempting, but we promised Sasori and Deidara that we would help more with construction." Itachi reminds him.

"Alright, but you're pretty little tail is just going to read the directions. Leave the heavy lifting to me. I don't want you to overexert yourself." His Protector says.

"Don't worry. I'll take it easy." Itachi assures him as he kisses his Mate's cheek.

A year or so ago, Itachi would have laughed if anyone had told him what was going to happen. That he was going to become a merman and that he was going to fall in love with a Great White. He would have thought that person had completely lost their mind.

Things were different now. Different in a good way though. Now, they just had to prove who was behind the assassination attack and they could all live happily ever after. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

On the other side of the castle, Sai smiles. He was stretching his fins with Kankuro. While the man wasn't a traditional artist, he was an exceptional one in his own unique way.

"Yeah. So if you mix the ink from those squids, you'll get some underwater paint." The other man says.

"Hmm. That's fascinating. I never would have thought of that. I wonder how many different colors one could produce from such an undertaking." The dark haired Fourth Generationers muses out loud.

Kankuro was highly intelligent. The merman just didn't show it off much. He was a pretty casual guy. Laidback. Sai liked that.

He didn't understand half the things that the other man said, but Kankuro was patient. The Middle Sabaku Sibling was willing to explain all of the pop culture references that he made. Really, the young artist was learning so much from him.

"Not sure. I guess we'll find out." Kankuro says happily.

Sai was beginning to feel guilty. Previously, guilt wasn't an emotion that he had even thought himself capable of feeling. Things were different with the puppet lover though. Very different.

Kankuro deserved better than someone who was trying to assassinate the King. A King who had welcomed strangers into his home with open fins. He'd want nothing to do with Sai, if he knew the truth.

"Yeah. We will." He says with a smile.

His smiles felt different now. More genuine. He didn't have to fake them. He was genuinely happy around the other merman.

That was both a liberating and terrifying thought. Sai didn't really know how to handle it. All that he knew was that he didn't want to be separated from Kankuro.

"Are you alright? You look a little out of it." Kankuro says in concern.

"Oh yes. I'm fine. I must have just eaten something that didn't agree with me." The artist lies.

He hated lying to him. Sai really did. Was that because they were supposed to be Mates?

Sai wasn't sure. He knew what Mates were in the abstract. Certainly, Kisame and Itachi were Mates. They adored each other and Itachi was pregnant. Could he really have that with the other merman though?

"Maybe, you should go get checked out." The other man suggests.

"Maybe. I think I'll be fine though. I have you to take care of me." Sai says with a smile.

Kankuro had been tested recently. He was a Nurturer. Sai was Protector. When it came to underwater romances, apparently opposites did attract.

Sai was aware that there were Nurturer-Nurturer and Protector-Protector romances, but they seemed to be a minority. Though no one would ever say anything negative, about any form of a Mating. Mating had taken on an almost sacred connotation in this new world at an almost astonishing speed.

"Yes, you do." Kankuro agrees with a smile.

You could get away with doing or saying almost anything. That was until you insulted another person's Mate. That's when even the most docile Nurturer or mellow Protector would completely lose it.

It was more than a little frightening really. Sai had seen what happened when someone insulted Deidara once. Sasori had torn into that unfortunate merman so viciously that the poor idiot had ended up in intensive care for a week! If that had happened on land, Sasori would be in jail. Not here though.

"Why don't we go watch some races?" He suggests.

"Alright. After you go and see a doctor though." Kankuro insists.

There were no prisons here. Though Sai suspected that even if they had them, Sasori still wouldn't have been thrown into one. He was just acting on his instincts. Protectors lived up to their names. It really was as simple as that.

"Very well." Sai says as they swim off to have him looked at.

Meanwhile Gaara was getting a tour of the castle by Jugo. The red head had decided to become a guard. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do and it gave him an excuse to explore to his heart's content and keep an eye on Hiashi.

Not to mention, he did enjoy spending time with Jugo. Jugo was a guard and Gaara couldn't lie. That had factored into his new career choice rather heavily.

"So this is the East Wing." Jugo says with a smile.

"It's a nice Wing." Gaara comments.

"You've said that about all the Wings so far though." The Nurturer observes with a laugh.

That was right. He had. In all fairness though, Gaara had yet to see a part of this castle that wasn't beautiful. That and he was a little distracted.

Jugo did have a nice tail and was often swimming just a little bit in front of the red head. It was probably wrong to ogle, but oh well. The Orca was only human(ish).

"Well they were all nice." Gaara says with a shrug.

"Is it the architecture that you find nice or the view of my tail?" Jugo shocks him by asking.

"In all honestly, both. Though mostly the view of your tail." Gaara replies with a smirk.

It was a new world. A new life. The red head knew that he had a real chance to start over here. He could be happy and leave the problems of humanity behind. Leave them behind and maybe get a really cute boyfriend out of the deal too! That would be an ideal outcome.

"Well I do admire honesty." Jugo says with a wink as he kisses his cheek.

Unbeknownst to them, the Hyugas were currently engaged in a rather heated family reunion. Well the Hyugas and one very irritated Uzumaki. Naruto still couldn't believe that Hiashi was actually being allowed in to the Kingdom.

It seemed like they were all courting with disaster. Hiashi hated mermen and mermaids. The blonde was far from a scholar, but he wasn't stupid. Something was obviously up.

"It's so good to see the three of you again. I regret that the last time I heard from either of you was when I read your letter. I do hope that you have all found happiness in Sharingan." Hiashi says.

Oh he was laying it on thick. Did he really expect them to believe it? That he had suddenly had a change of heart?

Not only was Hiashi no longer a Traditionalist, but now he had willingly become a merman. A merman who wanted nothing more than to reunite with his two daughters and his nephew? He wanted to be a loving family man and leave all the bad blood between the four of them in the past? How dumb did he really think that they were?!

"I'm relieved to hear you say that, Uncle. Though I must confess that I'm amazed at your change of heart." Neji murmurs softly.

Damn right, Neji should be amazed. Naruto wasn't buying it. People didn't change. Well at least not this quick. Nu uh!

"Losing everything has a way of making a man reevaluate his priorities in life. This world is an unfamiliar one to me. I'll admit that I reacted poorly when I first learned about mermen and mermaids. I acted out of fear. I allowed my fear to cloud my judgment and I truly do regret that. I set a poor example for all of you." He says as he lowers his eyes in shame.

Naruto pauses for a moment. That sounded sincere. Sadly, he wasn't sure that he believed it.

The better part of him, wanted to. Hinata deserved to have her father in her life, but he couldn't lie. He was still extremely wary of Hiashi Hyuga.

"Well I'm glad that you've changed your mind. It takes a big man to admit when he was wrong." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

Uh oh. They were now entering very dangerous waters. Hinata had called her father wrong. Hiashi Hyuga was not a man who ever took kindly to that!

"I didn't have all the necessary information to make an informed decision. I made an error in judgment based on incomplete facts." He corrects her.

Well that was about as nicely as Hiashi was going to react to being called wrong. Maybe, he really did feel guilty. Maybe, this would somehow work out.

"Well we're very glad that you're here now father." Hanabi says with a smile of her own.

Hiashi nods and returns the friendly gesture. It felt almost foreign to smile these days. He hadn't done it in a long time.

Mostly because he was worried about the fate of humanity. That was a big part of the reason why he hadn't smiled in so long. Hiashi knew that he was going to have to though, if he wanted to convince them.

"I feel the same way." He assures her.

The Hyuga knew that it was vital to convince them that he was sincere. As much as he loved his family, he knew the truth. This was all an abomination. He needed to brief the other Traditionalists about this city and then they would destroy it.

Hiashi would get his family out and they would go somewhere else. They'd live out the rest of their days like this and let the Traditionalists destroy the other mermaids and mermen. Though perhaps he would spare Naruto as well.

"Welcome to the Ocean Side. We don't have cookies, but we do have fish. Lots of fish." Naruto says with a wink.

Hiashi wasn't blind. He knew that the blonde had a soft spot for Hinata. She was going to need someone in her life who could take care of her.

He wasn't delusional. Hiashi Hyuga was a man far closer to his twilight years than he would ever care to admit. Right now, he was Middle Aged, but soon enough he would be old.

When he was elderly, who would care for his family in the wild ocean? That was why Naruto might be necessary. He cared for Hinata. He would keep her safe. Surely, he would.

"Yes, I can see that." Hiashi replies dryly.

Humor had never really been his greatest strength. Above all else, Hiashi considered himself a practical man. So Naruto's more mischievous nature was counter to his own.

That was probably part of the reason why it had taken him so long to accept the boy. Naruto was his opposite in so many ways, but they were alike in the most important one. They both loved Hinata.

"They also have lobster. It's quite good." Neji adds.

Hiashi smiles. It was apparent that his cautious nephew was attempting to bridge the divide that had sprung up between them. Good. That was a good sign.

"I'm glad to hear that. Proper nutrition is important in any world." He adds good-naturedly.

If they were willing to give him a chance, Hiashi would take it. He would take it and then tell the Traditionalists all about Sharingan. Once they destroyed this place, they would start their new life together.

While he didn't want to live as a merman, he wanted to die less. That was why he would learn to tolerate this disgusting form and help his family to survive. Once they were dead, there would be no more mermen and mermaids. They could live out their "natural" lifecycle and then go in peace.

"Yes, it is." Neji agrees with a nod of his head.

"Right. Well I promised Hinata that I would show her the reefs. So we'll see you guys later." Naruto says brightly.

He didn't like the sound of that. Though he supposed that he should let Naruto "court" her. Well as much as anyone could truly court someone in this world.

"Very well. Stay safe." Hiashi says.

Hinata blinks. Her father wasn't going to protest? Who was this man and what had happened to Hiashi Hyuga?

"We will. Thank you, father. Thank you, for reevaluating your position and giving this family another chance. I know that this is what mother would have wanted for us. For all of us." Hinata whispers as she kisses his cheek and swims off with the blonde merman.

The Hyuga mermaid couldn't believe it. Her father was here and he was going to try to make this work! Not only that, but he seemed to have finally come around to accepting Naruto!

Today was nothing short of a miracle, she thinks to herself. It almost seemed too good to be true actually. Hinata sighs as soon as the thought came into her head and tries to dispel it.

Her letter must have reached him. That was all. It wasn't like her father was going to plan against them!

"You alright, Hinata?" Naruto asks softly.

"Yes, I think so. It's just so much has happened. It's a lot to take in. I'm so glad that you're here, Naruto. I don't know what I would have done, without you." She tells him honestly.

It was the truth. Naruto was the one real anchor in her life. She loved Neji and Hanabi. They were her family. Sasuke was a close friend, but Naruto had always been different.

Unfortunately, she had never found the courage to tell him how she felt. What if he just wanted to be friends? That would make things horribly awkward between them and she just didn't have the guts to risk taking the next step because of that.

"I'm glad that I'm here too. You know, that I'll always be there for you. Right?" He asks her for a grin and Hinata nods.

She knew that. Hinata just wished that he would be there for her in a slightly different way than he had before. A way that might result in her getting a Mating Mark.

She had seen Itachi proudly display his. The Hyuga woman was dying to be able to do the same. It wasn't just Itachi though. All the Mated mermen and mermaids seemed to go out of their way to display their Marks with great pride.

"I know." She whispers with a small smile.

It was the Newlywed Glow, she supposed. Some things were truly universal. It didn't matter whether you lived on land or under the ocean. Love was love and she hoped one day that Naruto would love her, the way that she loved him.


	14. Chapter 14

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I have put up warning before any scenes with major mentions of Itachi's pregnancy. If that is not your cup of tea, you can easily skip them and the plot will not be drastically altered. For any of you who are interested in Itachi and Kisame becoming parents though, I do hope you enjoy reading those scenes. **Oh and in this chapter, there was a minor time skip. A lot can happen in three days ;)**

Chapter 14

Three days later, Danzo frowns. He didn't care for how quickly Sai was growing attached to Kankuro. It wasn't that he was necessarily against the other man having a lover. It was only natural to desire some degree of physical affection.

This was especially true when you were a young man in his mind. Still he drew the line at actual feelings. The fact that his Protector was growing more interested in the Middle Sabaku Sibling than him was concerning to say the least. It meant that he had to act and act quickly.

"Time to get this over with." He mutters to himself as he swims to Obito's bedroom.

He would have preferred it to be poison. That was less traceable. Though Danzo supposed that a knife was more accurate.

He swims in to the other man's room and sighs quietly as he takes out the rather large butcher knife that he had stolen from the kitchen. There was truly no other way to do this. Obito had to die.

"Sorry about this. It was nothing personal." He mutters as he brings the knife down on the man hidden underneath the covers.

Annoyingly, he knew that the King preferred to take a midday nap while his Queen and daughter went to their checkup every day. So he would have to deal with them later. Right now, Obito was his focus.

With that thought in mind, he continues stabbing at the bed. Again and again. After awhile though, he noticed something strange. The man wasn't crying out in pain and there was no blood.

"You probably should have checked to see if anyone was actually under the covers." He hears someone say, but a punch was thrown at him before he could respond.

A punch that threw him back a couple feet. There was also enough force behind it that the elderly man could feel it in his cheek. His cheek was beginning to swell and rapidly. It was a damn miracle that his jaw hadn't been broken.

"AHHH!" He snarls in pain as the punch landed.

"We both know that you deserved far more than that. You were trying to kill me. It's fortunate for me that Sai informed me of what you were planning to do." Obito snarls at the elderly merman.

Danzo's eyes widen. He couldn't believe it. The Sea Slug had worried that Sai might be getting cold fins, but he had never expected an outright betrayal.

"SAI! I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION!" He roars as the Shark Type swims into the room.

"You taught me to think about things from a logical perspective. Logically, it makes little sense to take out a benevolent king in a castle filled with loyal guards. All to give the throne to someone who is already elderly. The chances of failure were very high and if we failed, I would never be with Kankuro." He says.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Danzo bellows as he lunges at the younger merman in a blind rage.

His attack never struck though. Obito gets between them and his entire body glows with a strange blue light. The second that Danzo collided into him, he received a nasty shock.

"D-DAMN IT! DAMN B-BOTH OF YOU!" The would be assassin screams as he falls over in pain.

"You should be less worried about him and more worried about yourself. Trying to assassinate a King is treason. Treason generally carries a death sentence. Surely, an intelligent man such as yourself would be aware of that." The King seethes at him.

Danzo's eyes narrow. He was going to be executed if he didn't escape. That much was certain.

Though he couldn't allow Sai and Obito to leave this room alive. If they did, they would tell the others. He'd be a dead man. They would pursue him.

"DIE!" The Sea Slug snarls as he charges at the King with the butcher knife.

He was about to stab him when Danzo feels a sharp pain in his neck. He looks down only to see a trial of dark red, almost black liquid oozing out of a large gash. A gash that had been made by a shard of glass.

"Don't you ever attack my Mate. He may be a Protector, but that doesn't mean that I won't kill you." Rin warns him from her position of standing in the doorway with Princess Akemi in her arms.

"You Mated well." Sai whispers to Obito.

"Oh believe me, I know." The Sharingan King says with a grin.

"YOU STUPID BITCH! I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU APART!" Danzo snarls like a feral animal as he charges at the mermaid, slamming her into the ground.

Rin screams as Akemi goes flying out of her arms. Fortunately, Sai was able to catch the infant. Still the mermaid was in the fight for her life.

A flurry of punches and bites were being exchanged. Danzo kept slashing at her with his knife. Occasionally, his weapon would strike skin or scale and make her bleed. Not to be outdone, Rin would bite him. Her sharper mermaid teeth also drawing blood.

At that moment, Jugo was walking down the halls with Gaara. It was their nightly ritual. Honestly, the red head figured this was the closest thing that mermaids and mermen could do for a date down here. He didn't mind the simplicity though. What mattered most was that he was with Jugo.

 _"YOU STUPID BITFCH! I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU APART!"_ Someone screams from the King's and Queen's Bedchambers.

"Jugo, did you hear that?" Gaara asks.

Jugo must have heard it though. His boyfriend was gone before the red head could even blink. Gaara sighs and swims off after him.

Someone was clearly in trouble. While Jugo might not be a Protector, he was still a Palace Guard. It was his job to protect people and he was good at it.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit women?" Jugo says as he smacks Danzo off of Rin with his powerful, large tail.

Gaara had to admit that he was rather impressed by how strong the other man's tail was. It sent Danzo flying straight into the wall. As proof of his tail's strength, there was now a sizable indent behind the elderly merman.

"Stay out of this! It's none of your business! I have no quarrel with you!" Danzo growls at Jugo.

"I'm a Palace Guard. It is my business." Jugo says as he swims over to the Sea Slug and tries to pin him against the wall.

Gaara's eyes widen in horror as he sees the glimmering of a knife. He tries to warn his Nurturer, but it was too late. Danzo slams it into his gut.

"Then I guess the funeral home will be glad to have the extra business." Danzo says.

That's when the red head absolutely lost it. He didn't know what happened. Sand came out of nowhere and took the form of a giant hand. A hand that threw him straight through the glass window.

"Jugo!" Gaara calls out as he races over to help his boyfriend.

"Kid is losing a lot of blood. Try to keep him conscious. I'll get him a healer. My love, come with me. You should get looked as well!" The King says as he swims off with his wife towards the medical wing.

"Well I guess that means that I'm the one who is left in charge of holding the baby." Sai observes.

Meanwhile Hiashi raises an eyebrow as he watches Kisame swim off to fetch something for Itachi. The blue one was certainly dedicated to Sasuke's older brother. This Mate Business was apparently something that everyone took seriously down here.

"Itachi, if I may…I have a question." He begins cautiously.

He was still planning on letting the Traditionalists know where this place was. They could destroy it. They had to, but that didn't mean that he was stupid.

Hiashi Hyuga was never a man to squander an opportunity and this was a most important one. He had to find out everything he could about the health an biology of mermaids and mermen. He knew Itachi in passing from their life on land, perhaps he would be willing to answer his questions.

"You may ask your question. I'm not entirely certain that I will know the answer. Please do try to remember that this world is still new to me as well." He replies gracefully.

A diplomatic and tactful answer. One that was completely human. While Kisame still acted like a wild animal sometimes, that was seldom the case for his "Mate."

"It's about your pouch. I may be imagining it, but I believe that it is growing. Are you aware of that?" He inquires.

 **Warning Fatherly Talk**

"Oh yes. I'm very aware of it. I'm pregnant." Itachi informs him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Hiashi gapes at him. He couldn't believe it. The man had to be joking. Surely, he couldn't possibly be serious!

"No. I'm curious. What's wrong with your pouch? Why is it glowing? Itachi, please do not insult my intelligence by making such inappropriate jokes. We both know that two men can't get each other pregnant." He reasons.

"I'm not joking. I am pregnant and that's why my pouch is glowing. Two human men can't get each other pregnant, but we aren't human. Well not entirely, anyway. Things are different down here. It's truly a completely new world, Hiashi. I do hope that one day you'll come to accept that and even embrace it." Itachi replies with a completely serene smile.

Hiashi knew that he must be gaping like a fish, but he couldn't help it. Itachi was pregnant. A man was pregnant and he was happy about it? He didn't look the least bit scared about his unnatural predicament. It didn't make any sense!

"I suppose that's true. There's really no telling what those injections really did to us. Aren't you afraid though? Men aren't supposed to get pregnant. You could die from this, Itachi." The Hyuga Patriarch warns him.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not the first merman to get pregnant. I'll be fine. I have Kisame to protect me and we're very much looking forward to meeting our first Hatchling. I do thank you for your concern though." The Uchiha continues.

He sounded so sure that everything would be alright. It reminded Hiashi of the way that his wife had responded when he had fussed over her pregnancy. That had been many years ago though.

They had both been human. Emiko had been a human. It was the natural cycle of life, but Itachi was displaying the same serenity as she had. It was both remarkable and a little disturbing.

"I have no doubt that Kisame cares for you in his own way. He's still something of a wild animal though. It's only natural that he wouldn't be concerned about such things. He's an Akatsuki. A First Generation. His mind doesn't think like you or me. He doesn't see the types of risks that would be involved in something like this." He says.

 _ **Smack!**_ Hiashi's winces as he feels something slap his face. It took him a moment to realize what it was though.

Itachi had _slapped_ him! He couldn't believe it! The other man had actually hit him for stating true facts.

"I understand that you're pregnant. You're not supposed to be pregnant. You're a man. It's only natural that you would lash out and not be able to control your emotions, but I still believe that you owe me an apology for striking me when I was only expressing concerns for your well-being!" He growls at the other man.

 **End Of Fatherly Talk**

"I don't owe you an apology. You owe me an apology. You're the one who insulted my Mate." Itachi says as he seethes at the implication Hiashi had just made.

Hiashi blinks. Itachi was very angry with him. He had just been expressing legitimate concerns for his safety. It wasn't Kisame's fault that he was more animal than man, but there were valid reasons to be concerned about their future together. Surely, Itachi must see that.

"I meant no offense. It's not something that he can help. He's just responding to animal instincts. As a Third Generation and a Fourth Generation Merman, we're different than him. We're more human. Kisame isn't always in control of himself." Hiashi says quickly.

It hadn't been his intention to offend Itachi. Unfortunately, the Hyuga man obviously had. Now, it was time to do some damage control.

"Are you sure about that? Looks like my Mate just slapped the Hell out of you for being a prejudiced bastard!" Hiashi hears someone snarl at him.

He gulps in response. Hiashi recognized that voice. It was Kisame and he was very angry.

"It's alright, My Love. Some people just have to learn the hard way. We should go and leave Hiashi to reflect on the valuable lesson that he learned today." Itachi says with a smile as he caresses Kisame's cheek.

It was obvious that he was trying to calm the other merman down. Whether or not, it would work was uncertain. Still Hiashi did appreciate the attempt.

"I suppose so. Idiot has been given a second chance at life and has to go and run his mouth. Obito is also an Akatsuki and so is his wife. He doesn't' seem to mind living in their city that much." Kisame says as he takes his Mate's hand and swims off with him.

It was the strangest thing. Their love seemed almost human. Perhaps, the animalistic DNA had not impacted their thought processes as much as he had thought.

Itachi was clearly about to become a proud "mother." Kisame was every inch a proud father. Maybe, their humanity hadn't been washed away with their legs. It was a thought to ponder for another day.

A few moments later, the King and Queen returned to the Royal Bedchambers with a healer. Jugo sighs in relief upon seeing them. He had never been more relieved in his life.

"Oh My God! You poor boy!" The healer says as she quickly begins tending to him.

The Nurturer was vaguely aware of Gaara watching him. He smiles at his boyfriend. The gentle giant wanted to reassure him, but he wasn't sure how successful he was in this endeavor.

"Save your strength, don't worry about me." The red head assures him.

"You served us honorably and we won't forget this. Are you alright, My Love?" Obito addresses Jugo and asks his wife.

"I'm a bit worse for wear, but nothing that won't heal. I'm more worried about our guard. Oh and thank you Sai, for watching our daughter and warning my husband about that vile snake." She growls.

Jugo nods in agreement. Though technically, Danzo was a Sea Slug. Not a snake. Still he doubted that really mattered all that much in this particular case. A traitor was a traitor.

"Well you're quite lucky that I have blood that I can give you for transfusions." The medic says as she begins doing exactly that, after stopping the bleeding and stitching his injury.

Jugo winces. There was simply no time to give him some form of anesthesia. He was too close to bleeding out. So he would just have to endure the pain.

"Yes, I'm very l-lucky." He says through gritted teeth.

"Don't move. You don't want to risk reopening your injury." Gaara whispers as he caresses his cheek.

"I won't move. I have everything that I need here. You and a medic." Jugo tells him with a smile.

The mermaids and mermen were so focused on Jugo that they all forgot one very important fact. While Gaara throwing Danzo out of the window had stopped the attack. That didn't necessarily mean that he was dead.

Danzo was still very much alive. The battered merman slowly begins crawling away from the window. He winces with each inch forward he made.

"I have to get away. If they find me, they will kill me." He whispers to himself.

He had just tried to assassinate the King. The King knew that and it wouldn't take long for guards to find him. That was why he had to hurry. He had to find a place to hide.

As he was thinking that, he hears two people coming towards him. Luckily, Danzo was able to hide behind some corral. It had been a close call though.

"I beat you fair and square. Admit it! Yeah?" He hears Deidara say.

Deidara the eccentric blonde. Well he was no threat. Well at least not yet. He didn't know what had happened. Maybe, he would help him.

"You got lucky, but you can pretend otherwise. That is, if it makes you feel better." Sasori says with a smirk.

Damn it. It was Deidara's Mate. While the blonde might be foolish enough to help him without asking questions, the same couldn't be said of the red head. He really did have the worst luck.

"Hmpf! You're just a sore loser! Yeah?!" Deidara grumbles.

"Mmm maybe, but I'm still the sore loser who is going take that pretty tail of yours for a few spins tonight." The other merman says as he leads his Mate back towards the castle.

Danzo lets out a breath that he had been holding. Good. They hadn't seen him. There was still a chance that he could escape.

It was risky. He'd be moving out into the open ocean and he had several injuries. The old man knew enough about marine biology to realize that this might be borderline suicidal, but the alternative would be even worse.

"If I stay here, they will find me. They'll find me and they will kill me." He mutters angrily.

He couldn't believe this. All because Sai had fallen in "love" his plans had been ruined. Sai was going to pay for this. They were all going to pay for this.

All that he had wanted to do was lead them. He had wanted to rule and have the other mermaids and mermen of Sharingan benefit from his experience. Well now they would have to deal with a less benevolent outcome. He would destroy that city and everyone in it.

"Starting with Sai." He whispers to himself as he continues crawling off more determinedly.

Three hours later, Sasuke was back at the castle. He was back at the castle with his brother. Well his brother and Kisame.

"It seems that Danzo attempted to kill Obito. Sai warned him about the attempt. The Queen received multiple minor injuries and Jugo was stabbed in the ensuing fight. That's not all though." Itachi whispers.

"What else happened?" Sasuke demands.

He couldn't believe all that had happened. He hadn't heard any of it. The Uchiha had been on the other side of the castle when the attack hit.

"Gaara was able to summon and control sand. He used it as a weapon. That's how they got rid of Danzo." Itachi says.

Sand as a weapon? That was a new one. Sasuke had never heard of such a thing before. Whatever. He wasn't going to argue with results.

"Does he know how he did it?" The younger Uchiha inquires.

"No. Gaara swears up and down that he's never done it before. He probably only managed it because Jugo is his Mate. Well almost. Those two have a serious thing for each other. Speaking of Matings, what's going on with you and my fellow Great White?" Kisame asks with a fang-tastic smile.

Sasuke gives the Akatsuki a dirty look for that. The last thing that he needed was his brother's Mate meddling in _**his**_ love life. Thank you, very much.

"I decided to give him a chance. He's very…affectionate." Sasuke says as he feels his face burn in embarrassment.

"Mmm have you tried spinning yet?" Itachi asks and Sasuke looks at him in confusion.

Spinning? What the Hell was that? Actually, wait. He probably didn't want to know. On second thought, scratch that. If Kisame and Itachi were doing it, he definitely didn't want to know.

"No." He answers truthfully.

If he didn't know what it was called, Sasuke highly doubted that they had done it. So far it had mostly been kissing and Suigetsu trying to get grabby with his tail. After which, Sasuke would proceed to crack his tail whip at the violet eyed merman and generally, he would learn his lesson.

Often it took two or three lashes, for the frisky merman to get the point. Though Sasuke was pretty sure that Suigetsu knew his protests were more half-hearted than anything else. If he had really wanted to hurt Suigetsu, he could have. His tail was pretty badass.

"Ah well I do highly recommend it." Itachi says with a wink.

"Uh huh. I'll be sure to give that the due consideration it deserves. So everything good with you guys?" He asks.

"Everything is great with our family." Kisame says with a smirk.

Sasuke nods. Good. He really didn't want to hear the details, but he always wanted to make sure that Itachi was alright. For obvious reasons.

"Great. Well you two are kinda freaking me out. I think I'm going to go find Suigetsu. Smacking him around is great cardio." Sasuke says with a smirk as he swims off.

He couldn't lie. Sasuke was still a bit nervous about the Danzo thing. Was it really that easy?

Not that Danzo looked particularly tough, but he knew enough about the other man by now to realize that there was more than meets the eye when it came to him. There had to be.

"Whoops! Sorry!" He hears a familiar voice say as he smacks into something.

Well more specifically, Sasuke had smacked into someone. Someone that he recognized. Naruto. It was Naruto and Hinata.

"It's fine. You two should really watch where you're going though. Where have you guys been anyway?" He asks.

"Well it's kinda a long story…" Naruto says with a grin as Hinata blushes.

That's when Sasuke notices that the blonde had an blue Angelfish marking on his neck. Hinata had an orange Koi Fish Mark on her own. Mating Marks. They had Mated!

"We're M-mates now!" Hinata says in a rush.

"Oh really? Well great. It's about time. I thought that you two were going to dance, well swim around each other forever." Sasuke admits.

"You're such a bastard sometimes. I hope that Suigetsu can handle your bastardlyness." Naruto protests.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. That wasn't even a real word. Though he doubted the blonde really cared about such technicalities.

"That's not a real word, you idiot." Sasuke grumbles.

"Don't call my Mate, an idiot!" Hinata growls at the Uchiha.

Sasuke was a bit taken aback by Hinata's response. Had she really just growled at him, but this was Hinata? Hinata didn't growl at people.

"And your Mate, shouldn't call my Sassy a bastard. So how about we call it even and everyone learns to play more nicely. Oh and for the record, I handle him _extremely_ well." Suigetsu says smugly.

Sasuke feels his face burn in embarrassment for the second time that day. He was going to die of complete humiliation soon. He just knew it.

"Pft. I let you get in a few kisses and suddenly you're acting like we're Mates." He scoffs.

"Well we aren't Mates yet, but we will be." Suigetsu informs him as if it was the most obviously thing in the world and Sasuke just shakes his head in response.

What else could he do? The white haired merman was probably right. That didn't meant that he was going to admit it through.


	15. Chapter 15

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 15

A few days later and Kisame could tell that his Mate was really anxious about something. Not what though. Unfortunately, the Mating Bond would only allow him to notice Itachi's feelings. Not the causes behind them.

"What's wrong? You're really tense." The Akatsuki says in concern.

"It's about Danzo. We never found his body. Getting flung through the window should have killed him. His body should have been laying by the window, but it wasn't." Itachi whispers.

That was a good point. Kisame hadn't really thought about the old codger much since the incident. That bastard had tried to stab a man to death in his sleep. As far as he was concerned, Gaara was perfectly justified in killing him.

"That's true. He probably crawled away somewhere. He's old and was thrown through solid glass. I doubt that he got that far. Danzo likely died from his injuries." The Great White reasons.

"Yes, you're right. I'm probably worried over nothing." Itachi says as he snuggles closer to his Mate.

The two of them were in their room. Kisame was growing increasingly protective of Itachi. He hadn't thought that it was possible for the other man to become even more protective, but apparently it was.

Kisame hadn't let him out of his sight since the Danzo Incident. Not that Itachi could blame him. Apparently, some people were capable of anything. His lover's fear might be completely justified in this instance.

"That's right. You need anything? I can get you some food, if you want." He suggests.

 **Warning Pregnancy Scene**

"Mmm. Well some shrimp and oysters do sound good." Itachi admits.

It was nice to have this. To have a Mate. To have a Mate who loved him and wanted to take care of him. The elder Uchiha Brother had never allowed any of his other lovers to treat him this way. To pamper him. It was nice.

"Alright. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." He says and with that Kisame swims off.

Itachi smiles and glances down at his pouch. It was definitely noticeable now. It would still be awhile until he "gave birth," but the Dolphin Type could certainly see that his pouch was expanding.

He was pregnant. Itachi still couldn't completely get his mind wrapped around that fact, but it was true. He was pregnant and his due date was far sooner than any human woman's would have been.

"You certainly didn't give us much time to prepare. Though at least you were smart enough to wait to be born until after the Danzo Situation was taken care of." Itachi muses as he glides his hand over his swollen pouch affectionately.

He wondered what they were having. It didn't matter to him, if it was a girl or a boy. Though Itachi couldn't lie. He was curious about whether they were having a son or a daughter.

That wasn't all that he was curious about. What species would it be? A Great White, a dolphin, or a hybrid? He honestly didn't know and that was a little terrifying, but also exciting. There was no telling what they were going to get.

"Alright. I'm back!" Kisame says, a few minutes later.

Itachi smiles. The blue skinned man was carrying a rather large plate of oysters and shrimp. Kisame never did anything halfway and fetching food was no exception.

"Mmm I see that. I'm carrying one child, Kisame. Not an entire village." Itachi notes with a chuckle.

"Well better to have too much than not enough!" He replies as he sits on the bed and kisses Itachi.

 **End Pregnancy Scene**

The Uchiha smiles and returns the kiss. So this was what it meant to be truly happy. If only the Traditionalists could understand that becoming a merman or a mermaid wasn't a bad thing. It was a good thing.

Becoming a merman had given him a chance to start over. He could be anything that he wanted down here. In his case, that meant that he was Kisame's Mate and that was a beautiful thing.

"I feel sorry for them." He whispers.

"You feel sorry for who and why do you feel sorry for them?" His Mate answers in confusion.

"The Traditionalists. They have no idea what they're missing out on. It's a beautiful world and one that is filled with love and wonder. Of course, one does have to be careful down here. It would be significantly less wonderful, if a whale happens to crush you to death on accident." He chuckles as he recalls the explanation for how Sasori and Deidara met.

Kisame chuckles in response. It was obvious that he knew exactly what Itachi was referencing. Even without his laughter, Itachi would have known that the Akatasuki shared his amusement. The Mating Bond was a beautiful and strange thing sometimes.

He could feel what Kisame felt. It was incredibly intimate and sometimes it could be a bit scary. The Dolphin doubted that he could have ever shared such an intimate bond with anyone else. Only Kisame. Though he supposed that all mermen and mermaids felt the same way about their Mates.

"Yes, not getting crushed to death does help one appreciate this world more." Kisame agrees with a smirk.

Elsewhere Hiashi blinks. He had known that Hinata had feelings for Naruto, but he had never expected them to act on their feelings this quickly. His daughter was married?!

"Sorry, about not telling you sooner. It just kinda happened really fast." Naruto says cheerfully.

Hinata nods in agreement and Hiashi inwardly groans. Well he supposed that there was no going back. They had Mating Marks on them and in a way, that was more official than marriage.

He didn't understand all the details, but the merman knew that it was some kind of psychic bond. They were now bound to each other in a way that no divorce lawyer could ever undo. His daughter wasn't even twenty yet and was now Mated for life. This was just preposterous!

"We were going to tell you. It's like Naruto said though. It just happened so suddenly." Hinata says with a smile.

Hiashi could only sigh in response. Oh Dear God, how was he supposed to argue with that sweet smile? His daughter was clearly happy with the dumb blonde and the Mark was permanent anyway. He supposed that he would have to accept this.

"Very well. Please tell me that your sister isn't eyeing anyone though. Hinata, you're far too young for marriage. Let alone Mating, but at least you're an adult. You're a grown woman. You're sister is another matter though." He grumbles.

"No. Hanabi doesn't even have a boyfriend. You don't have to worry about such things for a long time, father." Hinata reassures him.

Well that was good at least. Damn it. He couldn't believe this. Well he had expected it to be honest, but he just hadn't expected it to happen this soon.

"I suppose that a part of me will always see you as my baby girl. The girl who used to run around in a princess costume and fairy wings. It's hard for me to accept in some ways, that you're now a grown woman. You have my blessing though." He states.

For all that it really mattered, Hiashi thinks to himself a bit bitterly. This world was strange to him. It was a world that operated almost purely on instinct. Despite that, he couldn't begrudge Hinata her happiness. Well at least not much.

He would have done anything for his wife to still be alive. How could he hold the fact that Naruto wanted to be with the love of his life against him, knowing that? Hiashi couldn't. No matter how absurd it was to get Mated before you were even old enough to drink!

"Great! I'm really glad to hear that! Hinata has been really worried." Naruto tells him.

As she should be, it was bad enough that she had run away from her home. Now, she was Mated to someone. She hadn't even bothered to tell him that she was courting Naruto officially.

Despite all that, Hinata was happy. So in a way, he was as well. He just really wished that this was an engagement. Not a Mating.

"There is no need for you to be worried, Hinata. I'm certain that Naruto will make a fine Son-In-Law." He says.

"I'm so happy to hear that, father. I'm also really glad that you're back with us. We didn't want to leave you behind. It was just that you were so set in your ways. We didn't have any other choice." She whispers.

That still stung. They had left him behind. Though he was slowly getting over it. It was only natural to have a fear of death. To Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi, they had been fleeing for their lives. He couldn't be angry with them anymore over that.

Not when he was seeing things a bit more clearly. The initial pain of their betrayal was staring to wear off. Hiashi could look at things a bit more objectively now.

"It's alright, Hinata. I'm beginning to understand why you did it." He says with a smile as he caresses his daughter's cheek.

"Great! Well there's just one more thing." Naruto says brightly.

Oh boy. He was almost afraid to ask. Unfortunately, curiosity was a rather powerful force. It was so powerful that it overwhelmed his common sense. Common sense told him that he didn't want to know what else Naruto had to tell him, but curiosity won out.

"What else do the two of you have to tell me?" He asks warily.

"I'm pregnant. Mermaids aren't pregnant for as long as humans. So we're expecting our first hatchling in a couple months." Hinata says happily.

It was just too much! Hinata was pregnant! She was a mermaid and pregnant! Oh Dear God! THUD!

Hiashi faints. He lands on the ground with a loud thud and the new Mates quickly take him to be looked at by a healer. After all, he might have a concussion.

"Well that went better than expected." Naruto says.

"Naruto, he fainted!" Hinata protests.

"I know, but I was expecting him to yell and to try cut my tail off or something. So yeah. That actually went pretty well!" He says brightly and Hinata just shakes her head at her Mate's antics as they explain to the healer what happened to her father. (Honestly, what was she going to do with him)?

Meanwhile Gaara had gathered Sasuke, Suigetsu, Jugo, Sai, and Kankuro in one place. If he could control sand and the King was able to use electrical attacks, it stood to reason that he wasn't the only one with a special ability. Maybe the genetic engineering hadn't just changed their bodies and minds. Maybe, it came with other benefits or risks.

"I used sand as a weapon. It responded to my will. I didn't know that I could do it. I imagine that I'm not the only one with a talent like this. Jugo told me that the King can channel electricity along his body like an eel." The red head continues.

"So you're saying that you think that every mermaid or merman has some kind of magic?" Sasuke asks.

"It sounds like it's less about magic and more about a self-defense mechanism. Seems to respond to anger or fear. I doubt that Obito electrocuted someone because he was in a good mood and Gaara's sand only showed up when he was trying to protect Jugo." Kankuro murmurs.

Gaara nods in agreement. That seemed to be the trigger. Fear or anger. Maybe both. Though it was possible that any strong emotion might do it. Hmm.

"I'm only doing it to see, what happens when Suigetsu gets angry." Gaara whispers into Jugo's ear.

He knew what he was about to do was extremely dangerous. If Suigetsu didn't kill him, Sasuke was probably going to try to whip him. Unfortunately, it seemed like the fastest way to get a response.

"You're not serious. They'll both kill you." Jugo whispers back.

"Well it's a good thing I have my sand and you then." Gaara mutters as he walks over to Sasuke and grabs his tail.

Predictably, Sasuke goes to whip him with his wicked tail. Thankfully, Gaara was able to jump back in time to evade the tail. The bullets well not so much.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM! YOU, DAMN PERVERT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH JUGO!" Suigetsu says as he waves his hands around angrily and Water Bullets start shooting out.

Mercifully, his sand blocked them. Otherwise, Gaara wasn't sure that he would have survived the Protector's wrath. On the bright side, that was one theory confirmed.

"Suigetsu! Calm down! He was just trying to provoke you. Gaara wanted to get you angry to see, if you had an ability." Sai points out.

"Oh he got me angry, alright! Paws off Sir Foxiness!" Suigetsu growls as he flashes his teeth at the red head.

"…" Sasuke was left speechless.

Gaara blinks at that. Sir Foxiness? Alright. He knew that Sasuke was a Fox Shark, but that nickname was just a little too cutesy for the younger Uchiha.

"Sir Foxiness? Really?" He asks skeptically.

"Hey! Shut up! I'll call him whatever I want to call him. You can give Jugo whatever pet name you want, but I'm gonna do the same for Sasuke!" He roars.

"Suigetsu, stop it. I should have realized what he was up to. I'd call it a smart plan, if it wasn't borderline suicidal." The Fox Shark says with a sigh.

Gaara shrugs. Alright that was a fair assessment. Though that still didn't answer what the others' abilities were.

"Looks like anger is definitely a trigger. I suspect that fear might be as well." He says.

Kankuro raises an eyebrow at that and sneaks up on Sai. Immediately jets of black ink appear around him and take the form of a flyswatter, sending him flying back a few feet. Gaara blinks. Well that wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but he could work with it.

"Kankuro! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!" Sai asks.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Looks like your ink works in a manner that's similar to Gaara's." Kankruo says.

"Not really. I got scared and wanted to swat whatever was scaring me away. It took some conscious thought." He says with a smile.

Well that was interesting. It looked like not every ability was triggered by the same things. Now, they still had to find out Sasuke's, Jugo's, and Kankuro's ability. Not to mention there was still Temari, Itachi, Kisame, Hanabi, Neji, and everyone else.

"This might take awhile to figure out what everyone has, but I think everyone might have an ability. Though it's still a possibility that some people might not have one." He reasons.

"Got it. Well it looks like it's time to piss everyone off or scare the Hell out of them." Sasuke comments.

"Looks like it! Oh can I have Hiashi?! That would be fun. He was a Traditionalist and the jerk kinda has it coming." Suigetsu asks.

"You're impossible." Sasuke mutters as he rolls his eyes playfully.

Gaara wanted to be the bigger person and tell Suigetsu the same thing. He couldn't though. Hiashi certainly had it coming.

"Do it, Suigetsu. We might as well see what everyone's working with." He says.

"Alright! This is going to be awesome! Sasuke, you wanna come with me to scare Hinata's dad! This will be fun! It'll be like a date!" He says and Sasuke says as he drags the other merman off to do exactly that.

Unbeknownst to them at that same moment, Danzo had managed to swim towards the shore. He knew that it was a long shot, but it was his only real hope of salvation. He had to stay at least somewhat in the water, but close enough to be seen.

"Is that a man out there?" He hears someone say in the distance.

"I think it is. I think he's hurt or something." Another says.

Danzo was far too weak to call out to them enough for them to hear him. He manages to wave his hands in a distress like signal though. Hopefully, that would be enough.

It must have been his lucky day because it was. A few moments later, the two men rush over to him. He vaguely them as being Zabuza and Haku. Both of them worked at his company.

"Danzo?" Zabuza asks in confusion.

"It's a very long story. Please call medical labs. I accepted the injections and became a merman. I'm too badly injured though. I need medical assistance. I promise that you will both be compensated for your troubles." He assures them.

When in doubt, money would usually motivate people to do what you wanted them to do. There were very few people who didn't follow that general principle. Money could solve a lot of your problems. Well at least it could in Danzo's mind, anyway.

"I'll call the lab. Just stay in the water for now. You don't have to pay us for this. This is a medical emergency." Haku says as he takes out his cell and proceeds to do exactly that.

"Well yeah. Of course, we'll help you. You don't have to turn down free money to be noble though, Haku. It's not like he can use it under the water or anything." Zabuza says.

Haku gives Zabuza a dirty look for that and Danzo snorts in amusement. Despite the situation, there was something endlessly amusing about these two. Haku was the angel of that match. Zabuza was the demon. It was as simple as that.

"I guess you're right, but still. I wouldn't be right to take money from him for something like this." He states as he talks into the phone.

Danzo sighs in relief. It wouldn't be long now. He could get proper medical care. Once that was done, he'd find a way to get in touch with the Traditionalists and tell them all about Sharingan.

From there, it wouldn't take long to level that city. It would serve them right. They had a chance to be ruled by someone with experience, but they attacked him. They would pay dearly for that decision.

"You can send someone in 15 minutes? That's wonderful. He's in really bad shape." Haku says into the phone.

Fifteen minutes. All he had to do was hold on for fifteen minutes and then he would be golden. He could do that. Danzo would do that. He had to.

At that same time, Temari was showing Shikamaru around Sharingan. It had taken awhile to find him, but she had. Now, the blonde was more than happy to play tour guide to her boyfriend.

"They built all this in a few years?" He asks in shock.

"Yes, it looks like it. It's ruled by King Obito and Queen Rin. They have a daughter. Princess Akemi. She's a baby though." The Sabaku Sibling explains.

Shikamaru nods at that as he looks around. While Shikamaru might be lazy, he was also an academic. Temari was certain that he was already sorting through the potential implications of what this city meant for their kind.

It meant civilization. With civilization came a lot of perks, but what if history was just going to repeat itself? Humanity had exceeded carrying capacity on land, but what about the ocean? The Earth was made up primarily of water, but even the oceans had their limits. Surely.

"It's amazing that they put all this together so quickly. I can't lie. It has a bit of a Medieval feel to it. A King, Queen, and a Princess? That's a Monarchy." Her boyfriend points out.

"Yes, I know. Everyone seems really happy here though. So I don't really think that there is much of a point in arguing against the Monarchy." She says.

"Alright. This is such a drag. Obito and Rin might be alright, but whose to say that someone later on won't be? For now though, probably best to go along with the whole fairytale vibe." Shikamaru says with a yawn.

Shikamaru was a Sea Turtle Type. His tail was made of a shell substance, but seemed to function almost like any other merman's. Thankfully, he could go through the Three Stages like any other merman. So that was good.

"Yeah. That's what I thought too. Oh look, there's Konan and Pain." She says happily.

"What did you say the other one's name was?" Shikamaru asks in disbelief and Temari giggles in response.

Yes, Pain's name was strange. She doubted that was his human name, but the blonde wasn't going to argue about it. Strange names were really the least of their concerns down here.

Everyone was still adjusting to what it meant to be a merman or a mermaid. That included the Akatsuki. Even the first Akatsuki's had only been in the ocean for about half a decade. That wasn't very long in the grand scheme of things.

"Pain. Yes, I know. It's a weird name. They're really nice Jellyfish though. Mates." She tells him.

"Jellyfish? Damn. They tried out everything. Didn't they?" He asks in amusement.

"Yeah. The variety of marine line they injected people with is amazing. Though it's probably a good thing. We get to see what works and what doesn't this way." She says as she leads the other merman to the happy couple.

One day, she hoped that she and Shikamaru would be Mates. Though he probably would say that it was a drag to have to bite someone. He could be so lazy sometimes!

"Hello, Temari. Who is your friend?" Konan asks with a smile.

"This is Shikamaru. He's my intended. Shikamaru, this is Konan and her Mate, Pain." The blonde introduces them.

That's when Temari hears the sounds of shots being fired and her eyes widen. Bullets? Bullets under water?!

"Was that a gunshot?" Shikamaru asks.

"Sounds like it. Be careful. We should go and check it out." Pain says as the group swims off rather cautiously towards the sound.

That's when Temari sees Gaara, Jugo, Sai, and Kankuro. Sometimes was up. Bullets had rung out only moment before, but none of them looked sacred. What was going on?!

""I guess you heard Suigetsu's Water Bullets. It looks like everyone down here or at least myself, Sai, and Suigetsu have a special power. I can control Sand." Gaara says as he forms a shield out of the sand as if to prove his point.

"What a drag. It looks like they messed with our genetic codes more than I thought." Shikamaru says with a sigh.

At that moment, Temari didn't know whether to laugh or smack him. It was such a typical Shikamaru response that she didn't know what to do about it. That was just who he was though.

"We should probably talk to the scientists about this and the healers." She says with a sigh.

"Yes, you're right. Suigetsu and Sasuke wandered off to see if Hiashi has an ability as well." Gaara explains.

Oh great. Just great. Temari really hoped that he didn't. The man had been a Traditionalist before becoming a merman and she wasn't entirely certain that he had turned over a new leaf (or coral).

"I hope that he doesn't." She whispers and there were murmurs of agreement.

Everyone knew that if Hiashi had a power, he might use it against them. Everyone hoped that he had changed, but no one knew for sure and that thought was more than a little terrifying. What would they do, the Hyuga family had a traitor in their midst?


	16. Chapter 16

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** The submarine in this story can travel underwater water pretty far, but it's dealing with some basic weapons. While that may not be particularly realistic, I feel like it adds a more dramatic impact to the story. Happy Reading.

Chapter 16

A few minutes later, Sasuke and Sugietsu find Hiashi Hyuga. Unfortunately, he was still unconscious. Well that was problematic to say the least.

"What the Hell happened to him?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

"Well um we kinda told him that we're Mates now and we might have told him that Hinata is pregnant." Naruto says sheepishly.

Sasuke blinks. That would do it. For someone like Hiashi, who was a very traditional and overprotective father…that would definitely do it. Really, Naruto was lucky that was all Hiashi did. He could have done far worse than faint on them.

"Really? That's great! Congratulations! Is he going to be okay though?" Suigetsu asks as he pokes the unconscious merman curiously.

"Suigetsu! You can't just go around, poking people!" The Uchiha lightly scolds his intended.

That was so weird to say, but he couldn't really deny it. It was more the principle of the thing that was keeping him from accepting Suigetsu's Mark at this point. He didn't want to seem too eager.

Mating down here seemed to be largely instinctual. Other than Itachi and Kisame, everyone seemed to just know who the one was and it was just a matter of time. Though Sasuke was sure that in Itachi's case, it had been more out of caution than anything else.

"Why not? I was just checking to see, if he was alright." The other merman protests.

His brother had met Kisame almost immediately after being turned into a merman. Of course, he was going to be skittish. It was a little different for Sasuke. He knew that it was safe to Mate. Itachi hadn't.

"We should probably have a medic have a look at him. Oh and it wouldn't hurt to get Hinata checked out as well." Naruto says.

"A-Alright. That sounds like a good idea. I didn't mean to shock him that badly, but he had a right to know." Hinata mumbles as her face turns bright red.

Sasuke couldn't really argue with that logic. Hiashi was going to be a grandfather. While he had never particularly cared for the man, there were some things that you did out of common decency. Informing someone that they were about to become a grandparent was simply one of them.

"Yes, he did. Let's get him to the healer. He should be looked at." Sasuke agrees.

That's when Hiashi woke up. The merman was furious. Before Sasuke knew what was happening, he felt himself thrown up against a wall. Though it was obvious that the "attack" had been aimed at Naruto.

Hiashi had just been dazed and disoriented. He didn't know what he was doing. Though it was now obvious what his power was. Telekinesis.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, Mr. Hyuga! Sasuke, didn't do anything!" Naruto protests.

"My apologies, Sasuke. I wasn't aiming for you. I was aiming for that blonde fiend behind you!" Hiashi roars.

Sasuke blinks. Blonde fiend? Hiashi was being a bit overdramatic. Wasn't he? Naruto had Mated with Hinata before getting her pregnant. So what was he so upset about?

"Good to know, but I'm definitely aiming for you. No one hurts my Sasuke accident or not. Got it?!" Sugietsu says as he whacks the Hyuga man with his powerful tail, sending him flying back into the wall.

"You're both being way too dramatic about this. Though I guess it's looking more and more like every merman or mermaid has a special ability. They all seem to be triggered by anger and possibly fear at this point though." Sasuke muses.

The fact that they all went quiet, let Sasuke know that they were actually listening to him. Good. They should be listening ot him!

"Special abilities? Wait. I did that? It wasn't on purpose. I just wanted to throw Naruto against the wall and accidentally got Sasuke. I didn't even think about it. These abilities seem to be instinctual." The lavender eyed man observes as he tries to shake off the disoriented feeling that came from getting smacked against a wall.

"Yeah. They are. By the way, I can make Water Bullets. Surprisingly, they're just as effective as regular bullets. That's something that you should keep in mind, the next time you try to go around smacking people with your powers. Come on. We should go and get the others. We need to figure out who has what." Suigetsu says.

"You're right. We can't just l-leave this up to chance. Our abilities could come out at any time and who knows what might happen, if we don't p-practice." Hinata stammers out nervously.

Sasuke nods. That was a very good point. Hiashi could throw people against the walls. Suigetsu could use bullets. The King could electrocute people. God only knows what else everyone could do. Oh and not to mention, there was also Gaara's Sand and Sai's ink to consider.

"Alright. That's true. Let's get out of here." Sasuke says as they all head off to get Hiashi medical attention and to speak with King Obito.

Four hours later, Danzo was not a happy camper to say the least. Every part of his body felt like it was in pain. Though it looked like Tsunade was about to administer him some kind of pain medication.

"Will you please just hurry up and give me the medication?!" He demands.

"If you don't shut up, I might miscalculate the dosage. Mermen are different from humans and there are dozens of subspecies. I have to make sure that I don't give you too much or too little." Tsunade snaps at him.

That shuts Danzo up. He was in complete agony, but he wasn't stupid. Tsunade had just raised some very valid points. It was better safe than sorry.

"Forgive me. It's just the pain in excruciating." He says with a sigh.

"It's alright. We're going to help you. What happened?" Tsunade asks as she hooks him up with a morphine drip.

Damn it. He needed to come up with a suitable excuse and fast. He surely, couldn't tell her the truth. If he told her about Sharingan, she would tell the authorities and that just wasn't acceptable.

They would want that spot protected. The authorities would want to study it. Once they decided upon that, it would be almost impossible to destroy it and nothing was going to stop Danzo from doing so.

"I don't know. We just found him by the shore like this. I think he swam for quite awhile." Haku says softly.

Good. Well at least Haku's conversation was unintentionally giving him enough time to come up with a believable cover story. Now, he just needed to make the most of the time that he had been given.

"Yeah. He was in pretty bad shape." Zabuza confirms.

"I got chased by some sharks. I managed to swim away, but I got scraped up pretty badly by the Coral Reef." Danzo says.

That was believable, right? Coral could cut. Maybe, she'd buy that. It was really his only hope. If she didn't believe that excuse, he didn't know what he'd do.

"I see. Well be more careful out there, especially at your age." Tsunade tells him as she administers the pain medication.

Danzo nods and waits. Ahhh sweet relief. Thank goodness for the wonders of modern medicine.

"Well I'm going to go let Orochimaru and Jirayia know that you're okay. I'll show you two out while I'm at it. Nothing personal. The government just doesn't like people poking around in our labs anymore." The busty blonde informs the other men.

"Because of the Traditionalists." Haku says and Tsunade nods in confirmation. It hadn't been a question. That had been a statement. Smart boy, Danzo observes to himself.

"Yes. I can't lie. They have been growing more and more violent recently. Without Hiashi to lead them, they are lashing out at every target they can find. Honestly, I don't know how long it will be, before this place is attacked." She admits as she leads them off.

With that in mind, Danzo reaches for the nearest cell phone and contacts a government official that he knew was a Traditionalist. He was a rather high ranking one. Onoki would surely come to his aid.

"Hello, Onoki?" He says into the phone.

He was going to have to destroy it after the conversation, but that was okay. All Danzo had to do was give the other man the location and Sharingan would pay. He was sure of it.

"Danzo? Is that you? I haven't heard from you in forever. Are you alright?" Came the immediate reply.

"Well I've been better. These sickening scientists kidnapped me. They injected me and now I'm a merman. I've been exploring though. I wanted to find where the mermen and mermaids are based in. They have an underwater city. I can lead one of your submarines to it. We can take them out." He says.

"Good Lord. Danzo, I am so sorry. I can't believe that happened to you. I'm truly sorry. That's awful." The other elderly man whispers.

In truth, Danzo had played both sides before becoming a merman. He had maintained an air of neutrality in public while making each side think he favored them in private. It was a useful tactic that had served him well in the past and he was certain that was going to prove to be the case in this particular instance as well.

"It's alright. At least some good can come out of personal tragedy. I'll send you the location of where they'll release me. After that, you can get the submarine and I'll lead you to their Kingdom." He murmurs.

"Very well. This is really admirable, Danzo. I don't know that I would be able to keep my head like you are in this situation. It must be ghastly. Your bravery will not be forgotten." He promises him.

"I'm not doing this for recognition. I'm doing this for the good of humanity. Humans should stay human. Genetic engineering like this is simply wrong. I'm afraid that I must go though. There's no telling when the scientists will be back." He says as he sends Onoki the location and quickly destroys the phone.

Meanwhile in Sharingan, Kisame smiles as he shows Itachi to the maternity ward. There were currently five eggs inside. Two of which were newly lain and three were close to hatching.

"Those ones on the left are closer to hatchling. The ones on the right are what our egg will look like when it first comes out." Kisame says.

He couldn't wait to see their hatchling. Not only was their hatchling a symbol of their love, but it would also help to preserve their species. Humans just weren't going to be able to live solely on land anymore. It was time for evolution to enter its next phrase.

Kisame was just glad that he and Itachi were entering that phase together. Together with their hatchling. They were going to be one big, happy family. A happy and very much aquatic family.

"Our egg is going to be about the size of a chicken's egg and reach watermelon size, eventually." Itachi observes.

"Yes, that's right. I mean there aren't many eggs in there now. The city is still new. The population is small, but I imagine that it will expand soon enough. People are still cautious about starting a family when this is all so new." Kisame says.

Itachi nods in understanding. Thankfully, the Akatsuki could tell that his Mate wasn't spooked yet. That was a good thing.

 **Warning Overprotective Kisame Scene.**

If he was scared, Kisame probably would have freaked out. His Protector Instincts had gone into overdrive since he found out that his Mate was pregnant. He just couldn't help it.

"I'm just glad that Danzo is gone. I wouldn't have liked our child to be around that man." Itachi mutters.

"I wouldn't let that traitor within a mile of our baby." Kisame assures him and Itachi smiles.

He knew that Itachi knew that was the truth. He could feel it through their bond. Their were definitely some advantages to this Mating thing. Well besides the really great spinning sessions.

"I know and I'm very happy about that fact." Itachi whispers as he kisses Kisame.

He smiles and returns the kiss. Kisame couldn't wait until their hatchling was born. The Akatsuki couldn't wait to hold their firstborn in their arms and he knew that his Mate felt the same way. That thought only made his smile grow bigger.

"I mean it. I'll turn that traitor into sushi if he tries anything." The First Generationer promises him.

"Mmm. I know that you will. I'd help you do it too. I can't believe that man actually tried to stab Obito in his sleep." Itachi mutters in disgust.

Kisame would have liked to agree with Itachi, but the truth was that he knew better. Something had seemed off about that man from the beginning. He had tried to ignore it and Obito had almost paid the ultimate price for him doing so.

Next time, the Akatsuki would listen to his instincts. There was no way that he was going to let anything happen to his Hatchling or his Mate. If that meant tearing people like Danzo apart with his bare hands and teeth, so be it.

 **End Overprotective Kisame Scene**

"I love you." Kisame whispers.

"I love you too. It won't be long now. We should probably get going though. I have a feeling that the Guppies are up to something." The elder Uchiha brother says.

Kisame chuckles. Now, Itachi was calling them Guppies. He knew that his Mate would see things his way eventually. They really were a bunch of Guppies.

"Yes, most likely. Alright. Let's go check on them." He says with a smile as he swims off with his Mate to do exactly that.

Five days later, Danzo had recovered enough to be released back into the beach's water. The elderly merman suddenly found himself rather grateful for his newly discovered regeneration abilities. Apparently, mermen healed much faster than just regular men.

"I must admit, that your recovery is nothing short of astounding." Onoki says.

Danzo was wearing some wires. Wires that were waterproof and would allow him to communicate with the men in the submarine. The miracles of modern technology.

"Thank you. I had no idea that mermen could heal that quickly either. Wonders never cease." He murmurs as he swims on ahead.

Once he showed them where Sharingan was, he knew the weapons on that submarine would easily be able to take it out. The city wasn't very large yet. It wouldn't take that much.

That and they had the element of surprise on their side. That was always a powerful advantage in any fight. Danzo had learned that lesson well when he was a soldier in the Army and he had never forgotten it. It had saved his life more than once.

"Indeed." Onoki replies as he allows Danzo to lead them closer to the city.

He still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. The Traditionalists had a merman who was leading them straight to their lair. This was perfect.

He did feel a bit guilty. It was hard not to. Danzo was doing them a great favor, but that didn't change the facts. The merman was an abomination. Just like the rest of them. He would have to be eliminated along with the rest of these filthy mutants.

"Sir! Look at this! It's a real city! He wasn't kidding!" One of his men aboard the ship says.

That's when Onoki looks onto the screen and gasps. It really was. This was an actual city. He had expected something like huts or underwater caves. He hadn't expected buildings!

"I see a bunch of them swimming around. It'll probably take us another half hour to get there. What are your orders?" Another crew member asks.

Onoki frowns as he considers his options. They could attack now or later. Unfortunately, it looked like most of the mermaids and mermen were awake. They would have an even greater chance of success, once they were all asleep.

It would be wiser to wait. So that was exactly what he was going to do. While he was certain that they would be victorious, there was no need to take any unnecessary chances.

"We wait until later. When we see less of them swimming around, we begin firing." He states.

"What about Danzo?" His First Mate asks.

Onoki sighs. This wasn't going to be pretty and he felt horrible about it, but it was for the greater good. Surely, Danzo would understand. He was a Traditionalist.

"We need to put him down like a rabid dog. He's done us a great service and we should reward him with a quick death. He won't know what hit him. Fire." He states simply.

"What about the city? Won't they hear our fire?" A young woman asks in concern.

That was a good point, but Onoki doubted it. They were simply too far away to be heard. They could see them on the screen thanks to advanced technology, but they should be safely out of range.

They could carry out their grisly task without alerting the others. He was confident of that much. With that in mind, Onoki sighs as he gives the order that would end Danzo's life.

"We're far enough away. That shouldn't be an issue. Though I do appreciate your feeling comfortable enough to raise that very sensible concern. Now, lets get this over with. I want him to die instantly. I don't want that man to feel any pain. He's done us a great service, after all." He states.

That's when the first shot was fired. This submarine had all sorts of weapons. Onoki had signaled for the harpoons to be released. It should slice straight through him and kill the poor son of a bitch easily.

Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on Danzo's surprisingly quick reflexes. He manages to evade the harpoon, but only just. Instead of striking him through the back and hitting his heart, it slices into his left arm.

The blue waters surrounding him turned a dark red. Blood red. Danzo was bleeding. Bleeding profusely, but he wasn't dead.

The man turns his head to look back at them in shock and with betrayed eyes. The look was painful, but that wouldn't stop Onoki from doing what he had to do. He was going to put Danzo out of his misery.

"Alright. Fire off the cannons instead." He says with a sigh.

BOOM! _BOOM!_ _ **BOOM!**_ Three shots were fired off in rapid succession. The first missed entirely. The second smashes into Danzo's shoulder, completely obliterating his other arm, but it was the third that would be his undoing.

"AHHHH!" Danzo cries out in pain as the second cannonball slams into his shoulder and completely destroys his other arm.

Now he was missing his left arm and his right was bleeding badly. He was seeing red. Both metaphorically and in reality. Everywhere he looked there was a sea of blood. His blood.

He inwardly panics and tries to swim away. Danzo swims as fast as he could, but he was disoriented. He was going into shock and he knew it.

"I won't let it end like this!" He snarls as the merman tries to swim to safety.

He had done everything that he could in his power to survive. Danzo had even become part freaking Sea Slug. Now, he was going to be blown up because he wanted revenge against those who had wronged him?!

No! He refused to go out that way! There had to be a way to escape, but as he was thinking that the third cannon strikes and hits true. It hit him in the back of the head and Danzo knew no more.

"Got him! We got him, Captain!" The crew member says excitedly.

"Don't celebrate like that. We lost a good man today. A good Traditionalist. His life was ruined and yet, he still thought of others.

"Even in his pain, that man decided to help our cause. We should mourn him. We shouldn't be celebrating his death. This isn't a video game." The old man says as he takes off his hat in respect.

His sacrifice would never be forgotten. Onoki would make sure of that. Their cause was just and noble. Danzo had been a martyr for it.

Little did he know, just how loud cannons could be or how good the hearing of the "abominations" was. If Onoki had known all that, he wouldn't have paused for a moment of silence. He would have just attacked.

"Kisame, did you hear that?" Itachi says, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Yes, I did! It sounded like cannonballs. Come on. We need to find the others." He says as he leads his Mate to the throne room.

Obito was pacing with his wife at his side. The sounds of the emergency blow horn could be heard. The city was on high alert now and hundreds of mermen and mermaids were heading towards the outskirts of the palace. All of them were trying to cram into the courtyard.

"My people! Do not be alarmed. We too have heard those sounds. Follow our drills. The young and sick will be taken away to the evacuation sites that we have set up. Those that can fight, will. If it comes down to it. We do hope that it will not." Obito says.

"But if it does come down to a fight, we'll fight to protect our home. It could just be a military doing some naval exercises, but we must find out for sure." Rin adds.

Itachi nods in agreement. He didn't believe that for a second. While it might be plausible that a military was simply doing some drills, his gut didn't believe it and the merman was learning to trust his instincts.

"I'm coming with you to the evacuation sight. You can't fight. You're pregnant and I'm not leaving you alone." Kisame whispers.

The elder Uchiha brother sighs and nods upon hearing this. It was only natural. Kisame was a Protector. He was just following his instincts.

"Alright. I'm not going to argue with you. Let's find my brother and drag him with us." He says.

"Sasuke can fight. He's not injured. He's not going to want to go with us." The Akatsuki points out.

"That's true. Though that assumes that I'm going to give my foolish little brother a choice. I most certainly am not." Itachi states as they swim off together in search of his brother.


	17. Chapter 17

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the Battle Chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** That submarine was hard to take down, but I wanted to showcase as many abilities as possible.

Chapter 17

"Hinata, you should go with Hanabi." Naruto says as soon as the evacuation orders were given.

He wanted his Mate out of there. She was pregnant. Hinata shouldn't fight. He wasn't going to let her.

"Naruto, I love you. I'm not going to hide though. Our home might be u-under attack and it might not be, but I'm not going to play Hide and Go Seek while you and the other fighters put your life on the line. Besides, what if the evacuation sites are found? We'll be sitting ducks. Well sitting f-fishes, I mean." The Hyuga woman reasons.

"Hinata, you're pregnant. You seriously can't fight." The blonde says.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I just can't sit and wait to find out whether or not you lived. I'm fighting!" The mermaid insists as her hands glow and she fires off a white light at the Koi Fish.

Naruto blinks. The white light was new, but his shock didn't last for long. It soon became apparent what the light did. It froze him.

"Hinata! Why didn't you tell me that you figured out what your gift was?! And let me go! I can't protect you if I'm frozen!" He yells at her.

"I'll let you go, if you promise to take me with you. I can fight, Naruto. Just not in the same way that Suigetsu, Gaara, and father can fight. I have magic too!" She tells him.

The Protector couldn't help, but wonder when his beautiful Mate had gotten so stubborn. He supposed that there really was no reasoning with her in this state though. He couldn't get out of her magical hold.

"Alright, but you have to hide. You have to run, if I say to. I just don't want anything to happen to you or our baby." Naruto says with a resigned sigh.

"I know. I love you. I'm sorry that this upsets you, but I just can't do it. I can't wait to see if you survive this or not." Hinata says as she releases him.

Meanwhile Obito was with the mermaids and mermen who were evacuating. Well more specifically, he was saying goodbye to his Queen and daughter. Someone had to watch Princess Akemi and he couldn't do it. He was needed on the battlefield.

"Stay safe, My Loves." He whispers as he kisses his Mate's cheek and Akemi's forehead.

"We will. Remember, you're not the only one with magic in this family." Rin reminds him with a sly smile.

"My Queen, you have a special ability too?" Itachi asks curiously as he swims over to her.

Obito nods. It was looking more and more like every mermaid and merman had one special ability. Whether one called it magic, a gift, an ability, a talent, or something else didn't really matter. He was just glad they did.

"Yes, I do. I'm able to detach some of my scales and throw them at the enemy. The scales cut into their skin and inject poison." She says happily.

Itachi blinks and Obito chuckles in response. Well that was his Mate for you. Beautiful, but deadly.

"Well that's a useful ability. I haven't figured out mine yet. Nor has Kisame." The elder Uchiha says.

"Oh I know what mine is. I'm more than willing to use it, if push comes to shove. I just hope that I don't have to." Kisame in forms his Mate.

Obito was scarcely able to restrain himself from laughing at that. The look upon the elder Uchiha's face was priceless. He wished that he had a camera.

"What is yours then?" The Nurturer demands as he raises an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you later. Looks like Suigetsu has drug Sasuke here." Kisame says.

Oh boy. It looked like the Fox Shark was seriously thinking about turning the Great White Shark into sushi. Well the younger Great White, anyway. Obito doubted that Sasuke was going to have a go at Kisame.

"Look, you should stay here. We really don't know what we're up against. You'll be safer here. That and your talent hasn't shown up yet. I can make bullets. You can't. Well at least, I don't think that you can. So let me do my job and protect you." The violet eyed merman pleads with him.

"Fine." Sasuke says as he rolls his eyes at the other merman.

Obito couldn't lie. He was rather shocked that the merman gave up that easily. Didn't seem like Sasuke, even Suigetsu looked more than a little stunned.

"Really? You're going to stay?" Suigetsu asks.

"You're right. I don't know what my ability is and this might turn out to be nothing. I might not know what my ability is, but I can use my tail. If something happens, I can help to protect the other evacuees. It's the smarter call. Just try not to get killed." Sasuke says as he brushes his lips against Suigetsu's.

Suigetsu smiles and kisses back. Itachi raises an eyebrow at that. Naturally, he didn't have a Mating Bond with his brother. He didn't need one though. He had a pretty good feeling that he knew exactly what the other merman was up to.

"Yeah. You're right. That tail of yours is vicious. I've seen that firsthand. Don't worry, I won't get killed. I'll be back soon as possible." Sugietsu says, after breaking the kiss.

"Good. Now, go with Obito. Make sure he doesn't get killed either. He's got a daughter to look after." Sasuke points out.

"Good point. Hey! Kingie! You ready?" Suigetsu asks.

"I'm ready." Obito says as he looks at his family one last time longingly, before swimming off with Suigetsu.

Itachi gives Sasuke a look and Sasuke just shrugs. Oh no. He wasn't getting away with it that easily.

"I know exactly what you are planning to do. You lied to him. You said that you'd stay behind. You have no intention of doing so. You're lucky that you don't have a Mating Bond with him at the moment or else have seen straight through that." Itachi scolds him.

"I didn't lie. I said I'd stay here. I didn't say how long and it would be the smarter call. Doesn't mean I'm going to let him go out there and potentially get killed. I can help." Sasuke says.

Itachi smacks his forehead. He could possibly have Kisame force Sasuke to stay here, but one or both of them might get seriously injured. Damn his foolish little brother. Damn him!

"Alright. Go. If you die though, I will revive you, kill you for being an idiot, and revive you again. After a few more beatings, the message might sink in. You aren't allowed to die of anything, but old age. Got it?" Itachi demands.

"Believe me, I got it." Sasuke says as he swims off.

A few minutes later, hundreds of mermen and mermaids had swum out of the city and found the submarine. To say the least, it was massive. This wasn't good.

"Gaara, how extensive is the range of your sand and how long can you hold it in a shield or dome formation?" Jugo asks.

"I'm not sure. It appears to be almost impenetrable when it's up though." The red head replies.

"Good. We're going to need that. It looks like that sub has cannons on it." Shikamaru says.

Cannons? Cannons?! Oh that wasn't good. Well at least they had the humans outnumbered. If that ship was armed with cannons, it was safe to say the humans had been planning an attack.

That's when Gaara blinks. He could see who was inside it. Onoki and a crew. Onoki was one of the leaders of the Traditionalist Movement, besides Hiashi. Not good.

"They aren't our friends. That much is for damn sure. That's Onoki. He's a Traditionalist to the core. We need to take that ship down." Gaara mutters.

"Hinata, can you freeze that thing? It's a lot bigger than me, but you might be able to do it." Naruto suggests.

Inside the ship, Onoki blinks at the strange sight that was before him. Hundreds of mermen and mermaids. It was as though they knew what he was doing and were about to launch a preemptive strike.

Well he wasn't going to allow that to happen. He smirks and gestures to his crew to fire. They were going to destroy these abominations!

"FIRE! SHOW NO MERCY!" He thunders at his crew.

Soon enough, the booming of cannons rang out. The cannons came so quick, that at first the mermen and mermaids had no time to react. A few shots tore straight through at least half a dozen of their fighters and the water was soon redder than any lobster.

"TAKE THIS!" Temari screams at the ship as she pulls out a giant fan and swings it hard.

Gaara was about to ask his sister what the Hell, she though at fan was going to do when it became apparent what Temari's power was. Wind. Well more specifically, it was more like an underwater twister. A chasm of wind and water slammed into the submarine, throwing it back a bit.

"What a drag. That's pretty impressive and all, but the ship is too big for that to work." Shikamaru says.

"FIRE! FIRE! THE MONSTERS HAVE MAGIC!" Onoki roars in response.

More cannons sounded, but Gaara rears up his sand to protect those closest to him. Unfortunately, his range wasn't wide enough to get everyone. That or he didn't know how to make it bigger. In all, about half their people were behind the sand wall.

The sand wall that could apparently withstand cannon fire. The red head sighs in relief, when the cannonballs strike, but don't pierce through his defense. Though not everyone was so lucky. Screams of agony soon filled the water.

"That's a lot of blood." Sasuke whispers as he swims over to them.

Sasuke? This wasn't going to end well. Suigetsu was going to go postal, Gaara thinks to himself.

"Sasuke! What the Hell are you doing here?! You said you were going to stay behind!" Suigetsu thunders at him.

"Yeah. I did, I just didn't say how long." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Suigetsu whirls around and starts to get in Sasuke's face. To say the least, the argument was getting pretty heated. On the plus side, Naruto's desire to prevent another bloodbath unlocked his ability.

"There's more than one Naruto!" Konan shouts as Gaara looks to see that was indeed the case.

Naruto had somehow managed to clone himself and the clone was trying to break up the fight. Wow. Gaara wasn't sure how many kinds of abilities there were, but apparently there were a lot.

"Stop it! Both of you, stop it! You can fight later! Right now, people are dying!" The blonde growls at them.

"HARPOONS!" Someone screams, in front of the wall.

More cries of anguish followed. Damn it. Now, they had cannonballs and harpoons. Great. Just great, Gaara whispers to himself.

"The glass is probably bulletproof, but if I can get behind it…the engines probably aren't." Suigetsu says, seeming to snap out of his rage.

"Are you crazy?! That could get you killed!" Kankuro says.

"We can't attack, if Gaara's shielding us. Suigetsu, I'll go with you. I'll try to cover you." Sasuke says.

Naruto suddenly makes a lot more of himself and Gaara smirks. So he could make more than one. Good to know. Maybe, they could overwhelm this thing with force.

"You got it, Sir Foxiness!" Suigetsu says as they swim out from behind the wall and Sasuke follows Suigetsu, muttering some rather unflattering things under his breath.

"The ship is heading towards the city! Towards the evacuation sights! I'm going to go head it off!" Gaara says.

"Stay safe! We can't attack with the sand shielding us, but those kids need the shields!" Sai reasons.

Gaara nods and he swims off. Hinata sees what he's doing and freezes the ship. Well she freezes it for about thirty seconds, but it was enough to give Gaara a head start. Suddenly, the Hyuga woman collapses.

"Hinata!" Naruto and the other Hyuga's call out in terror.

Some of Naruto's clones make their way over to Hinata as Hiashi tries throw the ship back with his powers. Unfortunately, it was only sent back a few inches. It was simply too large.

"These scum are attacking us using Black Magic! It's time to finish them!" Onoki roars.

With that, he sends more cannons and harpoons out. He smirks as the harpoons sliced into some mermaids. Some killing them instantly and others slowly bleeding out. The cannonball deaths were much quicker though. The water was now the darkest shade of red that he had ever seen. He had never seen a more beautiful sight.

"Those bastards! Yeah?!" Deidara snarls as he hurls some scales at the ship.

Those scales turned out to be somewhat similar to the Queen's. Though there was one key distinction, Sasuke observes. Instead of poison, Deidara's functioned like grenades. Unfortunately, they weren't powerful enough to take a ship like that down.

"Damn it! We have to find the engine." Sasuke mutters.

"I know! I'm looking! I'm looking!" Suigetsu agrees.

That's' when Sasuke sees what looks like rather large spears being throne at the ship. They appeared to be made out of ice and were being hurled by Neji Hyuga.

"Well no mystery what his talent is now." The Uchiha thinks to himself.

"FIRE! FIRE!" Onoki shouts inside the vessel.

These creatures had powerful magic. Fortunately, none of them seemed able to take out a submarine. That didn't mean he was going to take chances though. Not as they sailed to that damn city!

"Take this!" Hanabi screams as she summons a massive school of fish to make it hard for the human crew to see and navigate.

"Fight through it!" Onoki growls as he realizes what the fish were designed to do.

So these vile beasts had control over regular marine life. That was good to know. That wouldn't save them though. Nothing would!

Shikamaru tries to stop the ship by getting hold of its shadow. That worked for about ten seconds, but it was just too big to stop for long. Damn it!

"There's got to be something that we can do! Yeah?!" Deidara cries out in frustration as he launches more grenades.

"Kankuro, I need your help with the puppets!" Sasori says as the army of mermaids and mermen chase after the ship that had made its way into the city.

The good news was that Gaara had erected his sand dome. The bad news was that now the humans would know where the others were. It was a tactical decision.

Was it better to hide in plain sight with some protection or try your luck with staying hidden. Obviously, the red head chosen the former. Shikamaru just hoped that was the right choice.

"DIE!" Sasuke suddenly screams as a large group of hammerhead sharks arrive on the scene.

There had to be dozens of them. They must have been attracted by the scent of blood. Though now, Shikamaru knew what Sasuke's ability was. Sorta.

Sasuke was throwing fire at the sharks. That shouldn't have been possible though. Fire didn't work under water, well except this fire apparently. This fire was black as night.

"Alright. That's pretty cool, but my clones are still way better!" Naruto says.

"Whatever loser! I wonder, if I can melt this thing." He says as Suigetsu fires off some bullets at the sharks.

Meanwhile back with the evacuees, Itachi watches as Gaara maintains his sand dome. So far it looked pretty sturdy, but he wasn't entirely sure that it was going to hold. That's when he hears the sounds of sharks.

"They must be swarming. The scent of blood." Itachi whispers to Kisame.

"Most likely. I heard cannons. Someone died or got injured." His Mate whispers to him.

Rin nods in agreement and Itachi sighs as he glances at the tiny bundle in her arms. She wasn't even a year old. The Princess shouldn't have to live through a freaking battle.

One thing was for sure now though. This wasn't a drill. This wasn't some military exercise. This was a war.

"I hope that it wasn't one of our Foolish Guppies." Itachi mutters.

"Me too. I'm starting to grow pretty fond of the brats. Oh and the king too! Can't forget about him!" Kisame says as he looks at Rin almost apologetically for nearly forgetting about Obito.

"Thank you. I do appreciate you saying that." She tells him with a smile.

That's when Itachi notices that Kisame was about to do something stupid. He was trying to sneak out of the sand. Apparently, one could leave the sand, but not pierce through it.

"Kisame, what are you doing?!" He demands.

"I'm going to deal with the sharks. That's my ability. I can control regular sharks." He says.

Itachi blinks. That was a new one. Alright. Well that was a useful ability, especially when you had a swarm of bloodthirsty sharks lingering around the battlefield.

"I'm coming with you!" He says as he darts outside the sand with his Mate.

Itachi wasn't going to give him time to protest. Not that the sharks would have. They were all over the place. Some mermaids and mermen who had been injured had decided to follow the ship anywhere.

"Itachi! I'm going to kick your pretty tail when we are done fucking these people up! You can't just charge into a battle when you're pregnant!" He growls at him.

Fortunately for Itachi, his Mate was soon too busy dealing with the sharks to scold him for much longer. They had a fight to win. He'd deal with his angry Mate later.

Kisame directs the sharks to attack the ship. The sharks obviously weren't going to be able to destroy a submarine, but they were slamming into it, trying to knock it over. Itachi doubted that they were going to be successful, but it was certainly throwing them off balance.

"Take this!" Jugo snarls as he punches the ship, leaving a hole in the side of it.

Alright. So Jugo had super strength. That was good to know. Eventually, that hole might be enough to sink it, but there were still cannons being fired. They needed to stop this and quickly.

Blood. There was so much blood. If Kisame couldn't control sharks, the sharks probably would have finished them all off.

"I'm really glad the Queen and Princess are still inside the dome." He whispers to himself.

They shouldn't see this. The complete carnage. Some people were literally being torn in half. He could see the remains of torn off limbs here and there. Itachi was sure that he was going to have nightmares about this day for the rest of his life.

"Take the shot!" Someone yells at Suigetsu.

"I can't get a clear shot! Not with all the cannons and attacks!" Suigetsu yells at a man who looked suspiciously like Gaara.

"I'll make an opening. If anyone has a psychic attack, go for the Captain!" The man screams.

Onoki couldn't believe this. His submarine was being attacked by sharks. Sharks! Was there nothing these freaks of nature couldn't do?!

Itachi blinks. Psychic attacks? Was such a thing possible? Perhaps. The Mating Bond existed. There might be a way to touch other people's minds without being their Mate. It couldn't hurt to try.

He tries to project his thoughts. Itachi tries to connect his mind with the mind of anyone on that submarine. That's when he felt it. There were dozens of feelings floating around. All far weaker than Kisame's, but he knew that was because they weren't Mated. He might be able to do this.

"Father?" Gaara mutters as he swims out of the dome, making sure to keep it up.

"Gaara! It's good to see you. Are Temari and Kankuro alright?" He asks.

"I think so. How did you get down here?" The red head asks as he glances at the other merman.

Father? Well that explained why the man looked so much like Gaara. The newcomer was a Tigershark Subtype. The was one that Itachi hadn't seen before.

"Things got worse. I decided to take the injections and well…it wasn't hard to figure out where the action was when I started hearing cannons go off. Let's launch a frontal assault together. You with your sand and me with my metal. The white haired one can use his water bullets and if we're lucky, a psychic attack might finish them off. That's assuming we have anyone on our side with that ability." Rasa says.

"Got it." Konan says as she broadcasts that message to all the mermen and mermaids.

Her special ability was to control sound. She could banish it or amplify it. Her voice now sounded like it was coming from a microphone as she tells everyone to get behind that dome.

The others quickly head inside the dome, though Pain fires off a final shot at the submarine. Lasers appear to come out of his eyes as the thin red lights hit the ship. Underneath it. That should slow it down.

Sasuke hurls his flames at the ship at the same time that Rasa and Gaara perform their own attacks. The Uchiha tries to melt it. Gaara tries to slam into the thing with his sand and Rasa sends thousands of metal objects and stones flying at it.

"I can control iron. Anything with iron in it." Rasa explains as he helps with the attack.

"Good to know!" Gaara says as he continues attacking the ship with his sand.

Not to mention, Sai was sending volleys of ink shaped like battering rams at it and there were also Kankuro and Sasori's puppets to consider. To say the least, the submarine was being barraged in just about every way imaginable.

Kisame was never the type to be outdone though. He has his sharks swim around the sand dome protectively. If that thing went down, he wanted the sharks to protect their people, especially Itachi. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his Mate and Hatchling. That's what Itachi could feel through their bond.

He smiles at that thought as he touches what he assumed was the Captain's mind. The man was issuing orders. At least that was the feeling that Itachi got when he touched his mind.

"And now, he's going to take the order for once." Itachi says as his eyes turn red.

He plants the suggestion into the man's mind. He made Onoki believe he was firing his gun at a merman who had snuck onto the ship. In reality though, Onoki had just shot himself. He falls out as Itachi feels his crew panic.

It was far too late for that though. The metal, sand, and black flames all slammed into the ship at once. It was all the opening that Suigetsu needed. He fires off his water bullets into the engine and it comes crashing down. Fortunately, he and the other remaining combatants were high up enough that they were just out of range of the mighty explosion that results from all the chaos.

"We did it." Itachi whispers as he watches in awe as the ship just combusts from all the attacks.

It was only natural. It had been thrown around, frozen, shot in the engine, attacked with several objects, had a hole punched in it, puppets assault it, hit with ink battering rams, and lasers thrown at it. Now, it was gone.

"Do you think anyone survived that?" Kisame whispers to Itachi.

"No. I can't feel their minds anymore. Even if they survived the crash, the water pouring into it would drown them. I think the force of the impact killed them instantly." He murmurs.

It was over. The submarine had been sunk. For now, the Traditionalists had been beaten back. Itachi sighs in relief and places his hand protectively over his pouch.

"Let's go home. This battle is over." He murmurs and Konan rings out the same sentiment using her power as the remaining mermaids and mermen proceed to do two things.

The first was to try to identify who had been killed and to bury their bodies. Well what was left of them and the second was to head home. Back to Sharingan.

They had defended their home. Itachi doubted that this would be the last they'd would see of the Traditionalists, but they had won this battle. Now, it was time to celebrate that fact.


	18. Chapter 18

Underneath It All

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Underneath It All.**_ Oh and if you're interested, feel free to check out my other stories. Thank you for all the support on this story as I know that the main pair is rather unconventional to put it mildly. Anyway, happy reading.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place five years after the last chapter.

Chapter 18

 _Five years._ It had been five years since the death of Danzo and their victory over the submarine. In that time, a lot of things had changed. Sharingan was now more of an official city and t hey were most assuredly in the middle of a Baby Boom.

"Papa! What's a Traditionalist?" Itachi hears Katsumi ask him.

Katsumi was his and Kisame's son. He was going to turn five in a few months. To put it quite simply, he was their pride and joy.

"It's a very long story. Where did you hear that term?" The merman asks gently.

He didn't want to alarm his son. Katsumi's name meant Win over the Sea. They had won that battle and Itachi doubted that they were under any major threat from humans anymore. It had been years.

As an ethical matter, he did have a duty to inform his son about potential dangers. As a personal matter, the Dolphin Type just didn't like the thought of telling Katsumi the truth. That there were people who hated and feared him. Merely because he had a tail instead of legs.

"It's on the tv." Katsumi says as if that explained everything and to him, it probably did.

Their world was constantly changing. In the past year or so, more technology had made its way under the sea. That included Tvs. There were days like this, when Itachi almost wished that wasn't the case.

Still he could hardly turn down his son's request for inform. He had a right to know and it wasn't as if Itachi could ever resist those big eyes of his. Bubble Eyes. They were lethal and had been since the day the boy was hatched!

 _"Kisame! Kisame! Come quick! It's hatching! The Egg is hatching!" Itachi called out excitedly._

 _Great Whites were apex predators. Part of the reason why was because of their speed. The Uchiha had always known that his lover was fast of course, he just hadn't realized how fast until that day._

 _The Akatsuki was by his side almost faster than he could blink. Really, it was quite impressive. Perhaps, Sharingan should host their own version of the Olympics. His Mate deserved a Gold Medal for that performance._

 _"Really? Are you sure?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around Itachi protectively and stared at their egg intently._

 _Their egg was in the nursery, along with about a dozen or so others. Right now, it was large. Large and a beautiful baby blue color. It was also about the size of a watermelon or a bowling ball and had started shaking._

 _The egg shook and shook. Eventually, there was a tiny cracking sound and a small fist punched its way through. Itachi and Kisame watched anxiously, but let the baby try to free itself. If it looked like their hatchling was having trouble, they would intervene._

 _"Wahhh!" The newborn cracked out as it punched again and again, breaking the egg more until he was finally free._

 _Yes, he. Their hatchling was definitely a boy. A beautiful boy, in Itachi's mind._

 _He smiled and swam over to him. Kisame wasn't far behind. The proud parents immediately scooped their child in their arms and cuddled the newborn._

 _"He takes after you. Definitely beautiful. Just like his other father." Kisame said as he kissed his cheek._

 _"Mmm. I don't know. He most certainly has your blue skin." Itachi chuckled._

 _Their son was the perfect combination of both of them. He had Itachi's raven black hair and Kisame's exotic blue skin. His teeth were sharper than normal, but not nearly as sharp as Kisame's. Though the fact that he had teeth at all during this early stage was shocking to Itachi._

 _The boy also had his eyes and he was large for a hatchling. He was a Dolphin Type, but his tail was pure white with silver flippers and pouch. It was significantly bigger than a regular Dolphin Hatchling. Probably the Great White influence._

 _"That's true. Oh and look at those chompers. He's adorable. What should we call him?" Kisame inquired._

 _Itachi paused as he looked down at the boy. He was staring back up with him with the most adorable bubble eyes that the merman had ever since. The sea could truly produce some beautiful creatures and in that regard, their son was no exception._

 _"Katsumi. It means Win Over the Sea. We won that battle and humanity will win the war for survival." He whispered._

 _"That's a very good name." Kisame agreed._

"Traditionalists aren't anyone that you have to worry about, but they're weird. They think that mermaids and mermen shouldn't exist. Don't worry about them though. Most of them would never dare set foot in the ocean and even if they did, the odds of them finding us are almost zero. Besides, your Papa and I would always protect you." Kisame says with a smile as he swims over to his son and Mate.

Immediately, Katsumi rushes over to his Daddy and jumps into his arms. Kisame chuckles and spins him around a few times. Katsumi loved spinning as much as Itachi did. Just in a different way. Like Papa, like son…he supposed.

"Daddy!" He says with a smile.

"Yes. So what did you see on the news?" Kisame inquires as he ruffles the four year old's hair.

Katsumi called him Papa and Kisame Daddy. It made sense in a way. After all, their son did have to distinguish between them somehow and neither of them was his "mother."

"I saw the report. It says that the Traditionalists have been labeled a Hate Group." Naruto says as he swims over to them with Hinata and their son at their son.

Kosuke was his name and the hatchling was four years old. His name meant Rising Sun and boy did he live up to it with those golden locks and his sunny personality.

He had Naruto's blonde hair and Hinata's lavender eyes. He was an Angelfish Subtype, but he had Koi Fish coloring on his tail, fins, and pouch. Orange, white, black, and brown. It was quite the beautiful mosaic really.

"Good. They should be!" Kisame says righteously.

"Daddy, what's a Hate Group?" Kosuke asks innocently and all the parents in the room look at the boy with an equally panicked expression.

Fortunately, it was Sasuke who saved the day as he swum into the Dining Hall with his own family in tow. His foolish little brother had always been an excellent summarizer. He might be foolish, but the younger Uchiha had a very blunt and concise way of speaking.

"A group of mean people who pick on another group of people. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them." The Fox Shark says.

"Oh. Dat's bad! Don't worry, Naoko. I'll protect you from the Hate Groups!" Kosuke says as he immediately swims over to the three year old.

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I'm strong." The mermaid says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world as she cracks her tail like a whip.

Thankfully, it was only at the water and not at the other child. That would have caused major problems, Itachi thinks to himself. Naoko was only three. He doubted that she had very much control over that thing.

Naoko was the daughter of Sasuke and Suigetsu. Her name meant Sincere Child and well it was also accurate. Itachi doubted the girl had ever told a lie in her life.

"Well yeah, but still! I'm a Protector! You're a Nurturer. It's my job to protect you!" He says.

"Oh boy." Katsumi mutters to himself.

Obviously, his son could see where this was going. Most hatchlings were being tested at birth now. It didn't really matter what age you were tested at. Your Inner Nature was just innate it seemed.

Kosuke was a Protector and so was Katsumi. Naoko and Akemi were both Nurturers. Akemi seemed perfectly fine with this, but Naoko was a bit stubborn. She was like Sasuke in that respect, but Itachi had faith that she would eventually come to accept her Inner Nature. So far, everyone else had.

Speaking of Naoko, she had inherited Sasuke's raven locks and skin tone. The young mermaid also had Suigetsu's violet eyes and most of his facial features. That included his very sharp teeth. Naoko was a Fox Shark Type, but her tail was white and her hair currently reached her waist.

"I'm not a baby!" She grumbles as she crosses her arms.

Being the youngest was obviously a sore spot for the mermaid. Though Itachi knew that Naoko wouldn't be the youngest for long. Jugo and Gaara were discussing having hatchlings. Not to mention, Temari had recently laid her egg. It wouldn't be long now.

"I know you aren't a baby!" He says as he wraps his arms around her and begins purring.

"Well at least he's smart enough to purr to calm her down." Katsumi says as he rolls his eyes.

He wasn't the only one though. Sasuke was as well. Itachi smirks at that. He knew that it was very likely that Suigetsu often had to pull out that trick to calm his foolish little brother.

The Mating Marks didn't lie though. Sasuke had a purple shark on his neck and Suigetsu had a black Fox Shark on his. As hard as his brother might have played to get, well he was eventually caught.

"Sorry, that we're late. We were just checking on our egg." Temari says with a smile as she swims inside the dining room with her Mate.

"It's fine. I remember when we were waiting for Katsumi to hatch. We barely left the nursery. So naturally, the second that I turned my back…he started hatchling." Kisame says with a chuckle.

"What a drag. That's usually how it goes. We're both anxious to meet our son or daughter. All this waiting is driving me crazy." Shikamaru says with a sigh. Itachi hears someone snort and he wasn't surprised to see that it was King Obito. After all, he had waited five years for his wife to have Princess Akemi. He was pretty sure that even the Queen had snorted at that.

"You think that waiting for an egg to hatch is bad, try carrying a pregnancy for five years!" Rin mutters.

"We meant no offense, My Queen." Shikamaru says quickly.

"Oh it's fine. I know how hard it is to wait. I was just teasing you. Mostly." She says as her daughter darts over to join her friends.

Itachi smiles as he watches them play together. Princess Akemi was a social little thing, though he suspected that she liked Katsumi most. He wasn't going to say that though.

God only knows, what Kisame would do. They were just children. He doubted that it even rose to the level of Guppy Love at this stage.

"You don't really think that they're going to end up Mated do you?" Kisame asks.

Damn it. There were definitely a lot of advantages to having the Mating Bond. There were also some disadvantage. Like now, for instance.

While the Akatsuki couldn't hear his thoughts exactly, the feelings were rather clear. And over the years, the Great White had gotten pretty damn good at reading between the lines. Itachi didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed, really.

"Maybe. They're so young now, that it doesn't matter. Who is to say what the future may hold. The most important thing is that we're a family and that we won't be separated." Itachi whispers to him as he kisses Kisame's cheek.

"Yes. That's the most important thing." The blue skinned merman agrees with a nod.

"Oh look. Lobster today. Your favorite, Jugo." Gaara states as the two mermen join their friends and family.

In a very strange way, Itachi supposed that the match made sense. Gaara was an excellent, Protector. Highly intelligent, strong, and loyal to his friends. Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to relax. Well at least it had been, until he Mated Jugo.

The gentle giant's more mellow nature certainly complimented the red head. The main reason why they hadn't had a hatchling yet is because Gaara was busy establishing a "Sister City." He was going to call it Suna. He was quite the ambitious one.

"Yes, it is. Well my favorite besides you, anyway." The Nurturer says with a smile, earning a slight blush from his Mate.

Their Mating Marks were certainly exotic. Jugo now had a red and white Orca on his neck and Gaara had an orange whaleshark. Somehow, the Marks suited them both.

"You're always so sweet." Gaara says with a smile as he kisses his beloved's cheek.

"Speaking of sweet, I hope that you all enjoy this meal! I worked extra hard on it. Those lobsters just didn't want to go down easily!" Choji says cheerfully.

The food taster had not only survived the poisoning, he had been promoted. Choji was now the Head Chef for the castle. Really, it was the least that they could do for the guy.

He had very nearly died in the line of duty when Danzo tried to poison King Obito. If anyone deserved a promotion, it was definitely him. Well at least that was Itachi's opinion on the matter.

"It looks wonderful. Thank you, Choji." Sai says with a pleasant smile as he and Kankuro join everyone.

Sai and Kankuro were a match that Itachi was still trying to wrap his head around. He supposed in a bizarre way, they made sense. They were both artistic.

Despite the slightly odd match, there was no denying that the two of them were very happy together. Kankuro certainly wore his black shark Mating Mark proudly upon his neck and Sai wore his Mark with equal pride. His was a purple puppet.

"You're welcome!" Choji says with a grin, obviously pleased with the praise.

"Wow. That really does look good." Kankuro says as he sits down and begins eating with his Mate.

"Oh come on! You know you want one! Yeah?!" Deidara asks Sasori.

The most explosive match was currently debating about hatchlings. Apparently, Sasori was afraid that Deidara might accidentally blow their child up with his explosives or something. (Privately, Itachi could see why the Stingray was concerned about that possibility…but he digressed).

"It would be nice, but that would mean that you would have to become a responsible adult." Sasori taunts him with a smirk.

"I AM a responsible adult! Yeah?!" The eccentric blonde demands.

Everyone laughs at that. Deidara was many things, but a responsible adult wasn't one of them. Itachi doubted even the Octopus believed that.

"Deidara, no one believes that. You don't even believe that." Sasori says.

"Alright! Alright! Well I CAN be a responsible adult. For our Hatchling!" He grumbles.

"Alright. Well maybe after dinner we can go for a few spins and see what happens." The red head states as he kisses his Mate's cheek.

Deidara beams in response and Itachi smiles. Well one thing was for sure. He wasn't kidding when he said Sharingan was experiencing a Baby Boom. (Though perhaps, Hatchling Boom would have been more accurate).

"Papa, what's spin mean? Does he mean like when Daddy spins me around?" Katsumi asks innocently.

Well Itachi probably should have expected that. Katsumi was at that age where he was questioning everything. That didn't mean that he was nearly old enough to hear about spinning though!

"Well sorta. He means a more adult version though. I'll explain when your older. How about we go watch the chariots, after dinner?" He suggests.

Thankfully, Katsumi was also four. Like most four year olds, he was easily distracted. Thank goodness for small miracles.

"Really?! That'll be lots of fun! You hear that guys?!" He asks excitedly.

"The Tiger Shark Chariot will definitely win!" The Princess says.

"No way! It's all about the hammerheads!" Kosuke protests.

Itachi sighs in relief and he could feel Kisame's amusement. His Mate knew exactly what he had been trying to do there. Oh well. So sue him. The cheap ploy worked.

"Ah I remember when Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were that age. They all drove me half crazy. I wouldn't trade it for the world though. They're just as cute as they are embarrassing at that stage. Aren't they, Hiashi?" Rasa asks as the two middle aged mermen make their way over to their friends and family.

Rasa had helped to save the day at the battle and had quickly moved into Sharingan. The man seemed to greatly enjoy being a merman and well, the more experienced mermaids were more than happy about the handsome tiger shark's arrival. To say the least, the father of three was having the time of his life under the sea.

"Yes, they are." Hiashi agrees as he swims over to his daughters and grandson.

Hanabi was still unmated, but Itachi didn't think that would be the case for more than a few more years. The woman had grown into quite the beautiful mermaid and she already had many potential suitors. It was just that Hiashi was rather fond of scaring them away.

Not that Itachi thought that the Swordfish could really scare them away, if Hanabi was actually interested in one of them. The mermaid just seemed to believe that, they weren't worth the effort. If they couldn't handle her father, how were they ever supposed to handle her? (Itachi certainly couldn't disagree with her logic there).

Mostly, he was just glad that Hiashi had been "converted." The man was no longer a Traditionalist. It was hard to hate mermaids and mermen, when you were one yourself and so was most of your immediate family.

"We should probably at least see what the kid is talking about." Konan says as she turns on the tv.

Konan and Pain were still happily Mated. They split their time between Sharingan and living with their "family." A group of other Jellyfish Subtypes. Neither of them seemed in a particular hurry to have Hatchlings, but that was okay. Hatchlings certainly weren't for everyone.

 _ **"Tonight, we have breaking news. Traditionalists have been labeled as a Hate Group. This is mostly due to their habit of trying to blow up labs and attack any mermen and mermaids they see on sight." The reporter said.**_

Images of the attacks were shown on screen and Itachi sighs. That was most certainly true. Well it was about time that the government did something about it.

 _ **"Debate has raged for years over what our species should do? Should we try to control our population on land or take to the oceans. Every year, the aquatic population grows as more and more people elect to take the injections." He continues on.**_

That was true. While the Baby Boom was just getting started, most of their population had been human at once. It seemed like hundreds of mermaids and mermen were arriving in Sharingan every month.

Actually, it was probably a good thing that Gaara wanted to start Suna. Sooner or later, they weren't going to be able to build fast enough to keep with the population explosion.

 **"For those interested in becoming a merman or a mermaid, we've listed the information on our website for how you can sign up. Not everyone will be able to choose what Marine DNA you get, but the scientists do strive to provide choices when possible. Do keep in mind that demand for these injections is surging. So it may not always be possible to get the type you want." The handsome reporter named Utakata explains.**

That was probably a smart move on his part. Let everyone know, that they might not get to choose their subtype. Maybe, that would cause less fights.

 _ **"And I regret to inform everyone, that this is my last night broadcasting. I have elected to take the procedure. Seahorse DNA. I wish you all the best luck in the world. Utakata, signing out for the final time. Good night everyone!" He says as he walks off screen.**_

That was good. Public acceptance was growing. Their population was growing. Maybe, humanity would survive this after all. Perhaps, they would be able to build something even better than before.

"Well good. It's about time that they did it. Come on. Let's go watch those races. The children are extremely excited to see them." Pain points out.

Itachi nods in agreement and soon the families and friends go to watch the races from the bleachers that had been erected. Mostly coral that had cushions and other things put on them for comfort. No one wanted coral cuts! Those made paper cuts look downright pleasant!

Chariots had been made. The Chariots were always pulled by marine life. Dolphins and various breeds of shark were the most common choices. Once in awhile, you'd see sea turtles, octopuses, and other more exotic animals pulling some. It was always great fun to watch the races.

"Still waiting for them to add Great Whites." Kisame muses.

"I think Great Whites are probably too dangerous for anyone who isn't that Subtype. Not everyone has your gift, my love." Itachi says with a smile as he kisses his Mate's cheek.

"Suppose that's true. Not everyone can be as awesome as me. I can't wait to see what Katsumi gets. Still shocked that gifts don't activate till puberty." Kisame muses.

Itachi nods. That little tidbit had been surprising. He wasn't sure how the doctors had figured that out, but as far as he knew…no one under the age of ten had activated their gifts. Most people didn't activate them until they were at least 13, but there had been a few exceptions.

"I'm gonna get something awesome too!" Katsumi says with a toothy grin.

"Yes, I'm sure you will." Itachi assures his son as the races begin.

Sharingan was truly a different world than the one they had left behind. In many ways, he supposed that it was a better world. For instance, there was no racism, sexism, speciesism, or homophobia here. Well at least not that he had seen anyway.

It probably existed. Itachi just hadn't seen it. Everyone was too busy adjusting to being a merman or mermaid to waste time on such things.

"Wow! They're really fast! I wanna be a Chariot Racer one day!" Katsumi says.

"That's my boy." Kisame says with a proud smirk.

It was also cleaner here. Less crowded. The pace of life was much more serene and then of course, there was Kisame and Katsumi.

They were his everything. Well them, Sasuke, and his niece. It was a strange new world, but a beautiful one. A world that was teaming with life and dangers and one that Itachi never wanted to leave.

"I love you." He whispers to Kisame.

"I love you too and you're cute when you get all mushy." The Great White Shark says with a smirk.

Itachi just rolls his eyes good-naturedly in response. Of course, the other man had felt his thoughts. They had a strong Mating Bond, after all.

"I'll show you mushy later tonight, after Katsumi goes to bed. I'll take YOU for a few spins for a change." Itachi warns him.

"Promises. Promises. Did you hear that, Katsumi? You're going to bed early tonight!" Kisame informs their son.

"Awe, man! Daddy! Papa!" He whines cutely.

Itachi chuckles. Yes, it was a new world. Underneath it all though, some things never changed. Love was love. It didn't matter whether you had legs or a tail. Some things were universal and love was one of them.


End file.
